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CHORAL    TECHNIQUE 


AND 


INTERPRETATION. 


CHORAL  TECHNIQUE 


AND 


INTERPRETATION 


BY 


HENRY    COWARD 

MUS.DOC.   OXON. 


THE  H.  W.  GRAY  CO.,  INC. 
159  East  48th  St.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Made  in  the  United  States  of  America 


ji  «i»  u 


^    giHlia^^6* 


et 


PREFACE. 


This  book  has  been  written  to  assist  Choral 
Conductors  and  Choirmasters,  though  its  scope  is 
not  limited  to  these,  as  many  of  the  principles 
embodied  in  the  text  are  applicable  to  Soloists  as 
well  as  to  Orchestral  and  Military  Conductors. 

There  is  no  padding  or  mere  theorizing  in  the 
book.  Everything  written  is  the  outcome  of  living 
experience,  and  has  stood  the  test  of  many  years' 
trial. 

Other  methods  may  be  equally  good,  or  better  ; 
but  because  I  have  found  what  is  herein  stated  to 
be,  in  my  judgment,  the  most  effective,  I  have, 
without  reserve,  placed  my  plans  and  experience  at 
the  disposal  of  all  who  are  seeking  to  develop 
Choral  music  and  Choral  singing,  either  in  the 
small  Choir  or  in  the  large  Festival  Chorus. 


H.  C. 


2,  moorgate  avenue, 

Sheffield. 


MODERN 

CHORAL  TECHNIQUE    AND 

INTERPRETATION. 


When  journeying  round  the  world  during  191 1 
with  the  Sheffield  World  Tour  Choir,  to  realise 
Dr.  Charles  Harriss's  great  imperial  idea  of  musical 
reciprocity  in  the  British  Empire,  amongst  my 
pleasantest  experiences  I  count  the  meetings  and 
friendly  discussions  with  the  conductors  of  the 
numerous  choral  societies  in  Canada,  America, 
Australia,  New  Zealand,  and  South  Africa.  In 
every  case  a  spirit  of  enthusiasm  for  choral  singing 
was  manifested,  coupled  with  a  keen  desire  to 
reach  a  high  standard.  Therefore  it  was  only 
natural  that  these  conversations  almost  invariably 
drifted  into  a  series  of  inquiries  as  to  the  manage- 
ment of  the  voice,  the  problem  of  maintaining  the 
pitch,  how  to  secure  pianissimo,  the  secret  of  clear 
diction,  and  other  topics  connected  with  Choral 
Technique  in  its  most  modern  development. 

All  these  points  of  inquiry,  which  are  also  exer- 
cising the  minds  of  hundreds  of  choral  conductors 
in  the  British  Isles,  I  carefully  noted,  and  I  propose 
in  the  following  pages  to  give  such  hints,  advice, 
and  instruction  that  no  single  problem  connected 
with  choral  singing,  shall,  if  possible,  remain 
unsolved. 


2     TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

This  may  seem  a  presumptuous  remark,  but  to 
vindicate  the  statement  I  propose  to  press  into 
service  the  crystallized  essence  of  forty  years' 
experience  as  conductor  of  all  sorts  and  conditions 
of  choirs,  which  I  trust  will  enable  me  to  justify 
the  assertion. 

This  extended  practical  knowledge  has  been 
gained  from  bodies  of  singers  ranging  from  the  raw, 
rough  material  of  village  singers  to  the  polished 
select  choir ;  from  small  bodies  of  twenty-four 
voices  to  masses  of  over  fifty  thousand. 

From  the  above  foreshadowing  of  the  scheme 
of  the  book,  it  will  be  gathered  that  its  object  is 
intensely  practical — in  fact,  to  assist  in  every  possible 
way  the  hosts  of  choral  conductors  and  choir- 
masters to  become  effective  participators  in  that 
tremendous  and  wonderful  forward  movement  in 
choral  singing,  splendid  examples  of  which  are 
now  to  be  heard  at  many  of  our  Musical  Festivals, 
advanced  choral  societies'  concerts,  and  choral 
contests,  whether  known  as  Eisteddfodau  or 
Competitive  Festivals. 


DEFINITION    OF    THE    NEW    TECHNIQUE,    AND 
INTERPRETATIVE    AIM. 

To  the  question,  What  is  the  New  Choral 
Technique  ?  the  answer  may  be  given  that  it 
embraces  all  the  splendid  qualities,  grand,  rich  tone, 
broad  effects,  and  thrilling  climaxes  of  the  old  style 
of  choral  singing,  as  exemplified  at  the  Leeds  and 
Birmingham  Musical  Festivals  of  the  'eighties  and 
'nineties,  plus  the  more  refined  expression  and  greater 
dramatic  import  demanded  by  the  more  advanced 
and  much  more  critical  audiences  of  to-day. 


DEFINITION  3 

These  added  attributes  of  progressive  choral 
training  may  be  briefly  summarized  as  follows : — 

(a)  Greater  vocal  control  on  the  part  of  the 
singers.  This  must  be  shown  in  homogeneity  of 
tone,  so  that  each  vocal  part,  however  numerous, 
sounds  like  one  huge  voice  and  not  like  a  congeries 
of  conflicting  voices. 

Further,  the  voices  must  be  able  to  produce 
different  qualities  of  tone.  No  longer  will  one 
tone-quality  satisfy  the  claims  of  interpretation 
of  even  such  works  as  The  Messiah  and  Elijah, 
whilst  in  modern  choral  works  variety  of  tone- 
quality  is  absolutelynecessary.  Therefore  numerous 
tone  tints — the  white,  the  impersonal,  the  ethereal, 
the  dull  and  the  dark,  the  breathy,  and  many  other 
colourings — must  be  available. 

There  must  be  also  characterization  of  tone  to 
exemplify  the  sob,  the  exclamation,  the  snarl,  the 
laugh — playful,  mocking,  derisive,  or  fiendish — the 
shout  of  triumph,  &c.  In  fact,  the  whole  gamut 
of  dramatic  emotion  has  now  to  be  portrayed  by 
the  subtle  shadings  of  the  tone-quality  of  the  voices. 

(b)  Expression  of  a  more  refined  and  artistic 
character  must  be  shown. 

In  addition  to  the  sudden  contrasts  from  pp  to  ff 
and  vice  versa — dearly  beloved  of  old — the  fine 
cres.  and  dim.,  the  melting  and  merging  of  one 
phrase  into  another,  the  definite  prominence  or 
subordination  of  any  part  or  parts,  as  in  artistic 
string  quartets,  and  the  due  attention  to  contrasts 
of  force,  all  need  incorporation  in  the  modern 
scheme  of  expression. 

(c)  Words  and  their  articulation  call  for  supreme 
attention.  The  new  technique  predicates  greater 
care  in  securing  correct  vowel  quantity  and  clear 


4     TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

definition  of  consonants,  whether  they  be  initial, 
middle,  or  final. 

In  addition  to  this  technical  perfection,  vitalising 
of  the  words  and  sentences  by  proper  tone  and 
emphasis  is  demanded,  so  that  the  dramatic  sense 
is  never  in  doubt,  the  result  being  the  attainment 
of  good  diction — that  pearl  of  great  price. 

(d)  In  phrasing,  it  exacts  careful  marking  of  the 
breathing  places  so  as  to  secure  a  natural  grouping 
of  the  words.  Further,  the  musical  phrasing,  when 
not  controlled  by  the  text,  is  not  left  to  haphazard 
treatment,  as  has  been  too  often  the  case. 
y>-  (e)  Rhythm  is  exalted  to  a  high  position.  Means 
are  adopted  to  secure  such  a  control  of  accents  and 
stresses — regular  and  irregular — that  each  distinc- 
tive phrase  maintains  its  individuality  while  not 
interfering  with  the  other  parts,  thus  avoiding  the 
muddiness  and  jumble  which  one  often  hears,  say, 
in  Bach's  music  when  badly  rendered. 

The  sense  of  the  composition  must  be  faithfully 
reflected  in  the  performance.  It  will  not  suffice  to 
sing  "  He  trusted  in  God  "  in  the  same  manner  as 
"Glory  to  God";  or  the  "Wraith  of  Odin" 
(Kitig  Olaf)  with  the  same  atmosphere  as  the 
succeeding  chorus,  "  A  little  bird  in  the  air  "  ;  or  a 
madrigal  in  part-song  fashion.  A  recognition  of 
diversity  of  styles  of  composition  and  adaptation  of 
means  to  end  is  now  exacted. 
S"  (J)  Breathing  must  be  dealt  with  systematically, 
not  only  to  secure  power  to  phrase,  but  to  get 
control  of  breath  pressure,  so  as  to  produce  those 
extraordinary  fortissimo  effects  which  suggest 
illimitable  power  of  voice. 

The  new  training  also  demands  a  wider  out- 
look  and   a  greater   range   of    composition    than 


DEFINITION  5 

existed  in  the  past.  It  will  not  do  to  confine  the 
performances  to  a  few  well-known  works,  or  even  a 
wider  range  of  old  works,  to  the  exclusion  of 
modern  compositions.  Up  to  a  few  years  ago 
there  was  a  strong  disposition  on  the  part  of  both 
conductors  and  societies  to  treat  with  scant  courtesy 
any  work  which  presented  anything  out  of  the 
current  idiom,  and  which  was  therefore  rather 
difficult  to  perform.  I  am  of  opinion  that  the 
many  failures  in  the  rendering  of  works  at  our 
leading  Musical  Festivals  have  been  due  to  the 
inertia  of  the  performers  rather  than  to  the 
demerits  of  the  compositions.  The  way  difficulties 
were  shirked  used  to  make  my  blood  boil,  because 
many  new,  strange  effects  were  never  realised,  and 
the  works  were  consequently  damned.  A  con- 
spicuous example  of  putting  new  wine  into  old 
bottles  was  the  first  performance  of  Gerontius. 
We  can  now  look  back  and  smile  at  the  fiasco, 
because  we  properly  attribute  the  failure  to  the 
fact  that  the  new  spirit  of  progress — so  well 
vindicated  since  at  the  same  festival — had  not 
entered  into  either  the  officials  or  the  singers.  This 
spirit  of  tackling  and  mastering  difficulties  for  an 
artistic  purpose  must  be  paramount  in  all  who 
wish  to  march  under  the  banner  of  the  newest 
choralism. 

The  foregoing  demands  of  modern  choral 
singing  may  seem  appalling  to  many,  but  experience 
has  shown  that  they  can  all  be  met.  When,  from 
1875  to  1895,  I  attended  all  the  chief  festivals  as 
musical  critic,  the  limitations  of  the  old  style  of 
choralism  were  often  very  evident  to  me.  Though 
there  were  very  many  things  to  praise — and  I  never 
had  occasion  to  write  an  adverse  criticism  of  the 


6     TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

choral  singing — the  lack  of  delicacy,  the  absence  of 
clearness  in  the  words,  the  few  attempts  (generally 
failures)  at  characterization,  the  lack  of  spring  and 
alertness,  &c,  produced  such  a  feeling  of  dis- 
satisfaction in  me  that  I  had  often  to  lecture 
myself  in  some  such  manner  as  the  following:  "  You 
are  unreasonable  to  expect  a  large  body  of  singers 
to  be  as  smart  and  agile  as  a  small  select  choir  or 
the  principals.  Is  it  fair  to  expect  four  hundred 
voices  to  give  a  real  pianissimo;  or  to  demand 
perfection  in  chromatic  chords;  or  to  exact  in- 
dividuality in  involved  polyphony  ?  You  might  as 
well  expect  an  omnibus  to  go  noiselessly  along  the 
road,  or  railway  engines  to  skip  like  rams,  or  an 
elephant  to  say  '  See  me  dance  the  polka.'  In  the 
nature  of  things  it  is  impossible.  Be  reasonable. 
Praise  the  things  that  are  worthy  of  praise,  and 
leave  the  irremediable  faults  alone." 

Happily  I  had  a  choral  society — the  Sheffield 
Musical  Union — which  enabled  me  by  frequent 
experiment  to  put  to  practical  test  whether  it 
was  possible  for  a  large  choir  to  equal  a  smaller 
body  in  the  matters  of  responsiveness,  alertness, 
quality  of  tone,  expression,  and  diction.  The  ever- 
faithful  singers  enthusiastically  pursued  the  ideal 
of  their  leader,  and  fearlessly  trod  strange  paths, 
traversed  many  unknown  vocal  regions,  and  scaled 
choral  heights  which  had  hitherto  not  been 
attempted.  The  success  and  the  great  local 
reputation  of  the  Sheffield  Musical  Union  chorus 
led  to  the  choir  of  the  first  Sheffield  Festival  being 
placed  under  my  sole  control. 

It  is  not  presumption  to  say  that  the  singing  of 
these  three  hundred  and  twenty  voices  was  a 
genuine    revelation    to    the    visiting    critics,    and 


DEFINITION  7 

proved  that  all  the  attributes  of  artistic  singing — 
good  vocal  tone,  power  without  roughness,  delicate 
nuances  without  weakness,  true  intonation,  perfect 
chording  and  blend,  clearness  of  attack,  clearness 
of  words  together  with  perfection  of  mobility  and 
discipline — could  be  attained  as  well  by  a  large 
body  of  vocalists  as  by  a  small  select  choir. 

The  possibilities  of  higher  achievements  being 
shown,  the  path  thus  opened  out  has  been  success- 
fully followed  by  highly  talented  and  enthusiastic 
conductors,  with  the  result  that  we  hear  to-day  at 
most  Musical  Festivals,  Eisteddfodau,  and  other 
competitive  meetings,  performances  of  compositions 
which,  in  respect  of  their  difficulty  and  the 
excellence  of  their  rendering,  would  have  been 
thought  impossible  a  dozen  years  ago. 

Herein  lies  the  reason  for  the  writing  of  this  book. 
It  is  to  set  forth  the  underlying  principles  of  artistic 
choral  attainment,  so  that  the  ordinary  well- 
informed  enthusiastic  choral  conductor  may 
approximate  in  result  to  the  excellent  renderings 
of  the  select  souls  to  whose  conducting  reference 
has  been  made  above,  and  thus  raise  the  artistic 
standard  of  singing  throughout  the  world. 


8 


THE   REHEARSAL. 

The  choral  society  exists,  or  should  exist, 
primarily  for  the  realisation  of  an  ideal,  the  flower 
and  fruit  of  this  being  a  performance,  as  perfect  as 
possible,  of  the  work  undertaken. 

In  this  ideal  there  should  be  faultless  technique 
and  artistic  expression  —  the  former  to  give 
intellectual  satisfaction,  the  latter  to  stir  the 
emotions, — the  whole  to  transport  the  hearer  to 
that  exaltation  of  spirit,  free  from  baser  passions, 
which  it  is  the  glory  of  music  to  produce. 

While  this  end  should  always  be  kept  in  mind, 
we  must  never  lose  sight  of  the  means  to  the  end. 
Hence  the  importance  of  giving  attention  to  the 
supreme  factor  in  musical  achievement  —  the 
rehearsal. 

There  is  a  hoary  fiction  that  a  final  bad  rehearsal 
ensures  a  good  performance.  It  may  be  granted 
that  a  poor  final  effort  may  have  its  value  by 
making  the  performers  careful  at  the  concert,  but 
it  is  a  mistake  to  think  that  a  poor  or  bad  rehearsal 
is  anything  but  a  calamity  to  a  society  of  amateurs. 
Artistic  ideality  soon  droops  in  the  chilly 
atmosphere  of  incompetent  dulness  ;  shrivels 
up  in  the  air  of  strenuous  misdirection  of  effort ; 
withers  and  expires  in  the  sultry  blasts  of  querulous 
irritability. 


METHODS   OF   REHEARSAL  g 

Therefore  the  subject  How  to  conduct  rehearsals  is 
of  vital  importance  to  the  artistic,  and  incidentally 
to  the  commercial  success  of  the  choral  society. 

In  the  main  there  are  three  methods  of  taking 
rehearsals.     These  I  name : — 

ist.    The  Conventional  Generalizing  ; 
2nd.  The  Critical  (or  hypercritical) — 

Particularizing;  and 
3rd.    The  Compartmental  Specializing. 

These  methods  may  be  used  at  both  full  and 
sectional  rehearsals. 

Generally  all  three  varieties  are  used  consciously 
or  unconsciously  by  all  conductors,  but  as  "Method 
is  the  secret  of  success,"  if  conductors  are  able  to 
realise  the  distinctive  features  and  differences  of 
the  three  plans  of  conducting  rehearsals,  and  also 
know  the  best  stage  at  which  to  use  each  style — 
whether  singly  or  in  combination — rehearsals  will 
be  made  much  more  effective  and  enjoyable. 
The  enjoyment  aspect  is  to  my  mind  of  such 
importance  that  it  swallows  up  every  other  con- 
sideration, for  pleasurable  choral  rehearsals  mean 
profitable  social  reunions. 

I  will  now  consider  this  trinity  of  plans,  with  a 
view  of  obtaining  unity  of  effects,  namely,  getting  as 
much  good  work  done  as  possible  in  the  limited 
time  for  rehearsal. 

THE    CONVENTIONAL    GENERALIZING    METHOD. 

The  Conventional  Generalizing  Method  is  the 
one  to  be  followed  chiefly  as  the  foundation  of  all 
rehearsals.  It  consists  of  going  through  the  music 
time  after  time  until  the  general  outline  of  it  is 


io  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

mastered,  and  the  spirit  of  the  composition  fully 
grasped  by  the  singers.  Theoretically  this  is  quite 
correct,  and,  as  such,  this  useful  and  necessary 
process  is  followed  by  the  great  majority  of 
conductors.  Most  of  them,  however,  fail  to  achieve 
success,  or  at  least  distinction,  because  of  the 
limitations  of  the  method.  It  needs  that  element  of 
ideality  which  the  Particularizing  and  Specializing 
Methods  presuppose.  At  a  recent  Three  Choirs 
Festival  an  enthusiastic  gentleman  amateur  asked 
a  very  well  -  known  composer — who  is  generally 
regarded  as  a  great  genius  in  composition — What  is 
genius?  He  replied,  "Two  per  cent,  of  inspiration, 
and  ninety-eight  per  cent,  of  perspiration."  In 
artistic  matters,  as  in  the  Sheffield  high-grade  steel, 
it  is  the  two  per  cent,  of  inspiration  which  makes 
all  the  difference  between  the  ordinary  and  the 
really  good.  Those  who  follow  the  Generalizing 
Method  exclusively,  just  miss  this  two  per  cent. 
— the  "vital  spark" — and  the  oft-heard  remark 
of  conductors,  "  That  will  do,"  when  really  the  fine 
edge  of  polish  and  attainment  has  never  been 
attempted  or  even  thought  of,  shows  that  thousands 
of  choirmasters  regard  this  conventional  treatment 
as  a  terminus,  not  merely  a  thoroughfare  which 
has  to  be  traversed  in  the  search  for  artistic 
perfection. 

THE  CRITICAL  PARTICULARIZING   METHOD. 

The  Particularizing  Method  consists  in  striving 
for  perfection  in  each  detail — music,  words,  expres- 
sion, &c. — to  attain  which  the  method  is  absolutely 
necessary.  Strangely  enough  this  method,  as 
carried  out  by  some  conductors,  produces  disastrous 


METHODS   OF   REHEARSAL  n 

results — by  exciting  irritation  instead  of  giving 
irradiation  or  illumination,  and  thus  killing  all 
pleasure  in  the  rehearsals. 

Let  us  follow,  in  a  matter-of-fact  way,  the 
common  usage  of  a  conductor  who  adopts  this 
method. 

Full  of  zeal,  with  a  lofty  ideal,  and  familiar  with 
the  score,  he  begins  the  rehearsal  with  high  hopes 
and  a  firm  determination  to  achieve  something 
good.  In  the  first  few  bars  he  hears  some  wrong 
notes.  Instead  of  allowing  these  to  pass  and 
"  blundering  through "  somehow,  he  stops  the 
choir  to  try  over,  say,  the  bass  and  contralto 
parts  separately.  He  starts  again,  and  finds  the 
sopranos  and  tenors  are  wrong,  therefore  he  stops 
again  to  put  them  right.  If  he  let  that  suffice  all 
would  be  well,  because  choirs  rather  like  short 
explanatory  stoppages ;  but  presently  he  stops 
because  a  phrase  has  been  sung  forte  instead  of 
piano,  and  says,  with  a  growl,  that  it  is  surprising 
that  they  should  not  observe  expression  marks,  &c. 
A  harsh  voice  and  a  mispronounced  word  call  for 
stoppage  and  reproof;  and  by  the  end  of  the 
rehearsal  one  chorus,  perhaps,  has  been  got  through. 
The  choir  meanwhile  are  invariably  annoyed  and 
M  fretted  "  at  being  stopped  so  often — like  a  spirited 
horse  that  is  being  constantly  "  pulled "  by  a 
tactless  driver — -and  sore  at  having  to  sit,  for  a 
seemingly  long  part  of  the  evening,  listening  to  the 
other  "  parts "  correcting  their  mistakes.  The 
feeling  running  through  it  all  is  "  much  cry  and 
little  wool."  This  kind  of  thing  is  repeated  at 
subsequent  rehearsals,  because  of  the  avowed 
determination  of  the  conductor  to  "make  everything 
perfect  as  we  go  along,"  with  the  result  that  at  the 


12  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

concert  the  last  chorus,  or  perhaps  two  choruses, 
have  to  be  sung  practically  at  sight ;  and  as  the 
earlier  choruses  are  not  sung  too  well  through  not 
being  heard  frequently  as  a  whole,  the  final 
impression  on  the  mind  of  the  audience  is  one  of 
disappointment. 

This  is  not  a  fancy  picture,  as  I  know  societies 
which  have  undergone  this  treatment  from  well- 
meaning,  clever  men  for  season  after  season,  until  a 
rebellion  of  the  long-suffering  members  has  led  to 
a  change  of  conductors. 

The  mistake  is  to  expect  artistic  results  too  soon. 
They  forget  the  old  saw  "  Rome  was  not  built  in  a 
day."  Singers  as  a  rule  are  aware  of  mistakes, 
and  when  they  have  got  a  kind  of  subconscious 
grasp  of  harmonies  they  master  the  errors  privately. 
In  this  matter  of  note-perfection,  after  pointing  out 
errors  or  very  difficult  phrases,  it  is  good  policy  to 
leave  it  to  the  members  and  "  wait  and  see."  This 
is  better  than  doing  as  some  conductors  do,  viz., 
keep  three-quarters  of  the  society  doing  nothing 
for  half  the  night  while  one  of  the  parts  is  mastering 
a  knotty  point. 

Equally  wasteful  and  unsatisfactory  is  it  to  try 
to  get  a  body  of  players  or  singers  to  render  a 
phrase  with  expression  before  the  phrase  itself  and 
the  words  have  become  familiar,  or  rather  burnt 
into  the  mind.  Every  artistic  effect  must  have  its 
antecedent  of  preparatory  work.  Taking  it  as  a 
whole,  long  experience  of  myself  and  others  has 
shown  me  that  more  harm  is  done  by  the  too  early 
application  of  the  Particularizing  hypercritical 
wanting-  to  -  do-too-many  -  things-at-a-time  Method, 
than  by  the  apparently  slower — even  stodgy — 
conventional  "  non-stop "   manner,  where  at  least 


METHODS   OF   REHEARSAL  13 

the  choir    does   get   a    full    night's    singing  and 

thereby     makes     some     progress,     whereas  the 
44  fretting  "  system  irritates  the  singers. 


THE    COMPARTMENTAL    SPECIALIZING    METHOD. 

The  little  known  and  little  practised  Compart-  y 
mental  Specializing  Method  consists  in  taking  some 
special  point  or  topic,  and  concentrating  all  attention 
on  it,  and,  for  the  time  being,  ignoring  everything 
else.  For  instance,  if  note-perfection  of  a  difficult 
phrase  be  the  object  sought,  all  faults  of  tone- 
quality,  words,  breathing,  or  expression  are  passed 
over.  The  same  rule  is  observed  if  the  topic  of 
study  be  the  development  of  a  fugal  subject,  or 
obtaining  fluency  in  runs,  divisions,  or  roulades,  as 
in  "  His  yoke  is  easy,"  or  "  For  unto  us." 

Amongst  the  many  features  that  call  for 
specialization  we  may  include  the  working  up  to  a 
climax ;  the  polishing  of  a  pianissimo  phrase ;  the 
obtaining  of  perfect  attack ;  the  management  of 
the  crescendo  and  the  diminuendo  ;  the  realising  of  the 
dynamic  and  emotional  sforzandos  and  pressure 
notes ;  the  clarifying  —to  the  listener — of  close 
imitations ;  the  development  of  marked  entries ; 
the  perfecting  of  vowels  and  consonants;  the 
marking  of  breathing  places ;  the  unifying  of  tone- 
quality  ;  and  the  developing  of  characteristic  tonal 
effects,  as  in  the  "  Demons'  Chorus,"  "  He  trusted 
in  God,"  the  "  Amen  "  in  Faust,  &c. 

The  above  list  is  not  exhaustive,  as  each 
composition  presents  its  own  problems.  This 
specializing  method  may  be  described  as  the 
Napoleonic  "Divide  and  Conquer"  policy:  or 
perhaps    it    more    nearly    follows    the    plan    of 


i4  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

Mr.  Maskelyne  and  other  famous  jugglers  and 
plate-spinners,  who  get  one  plate  spinning  before 
they  attempt  to  set  going  the  next. 

Of  course  care  must  be  taken  not  to  give  too 
large  doses  of  this  method  at  one  time,  or  it  would 
become  as  wearisome  as  the  Particularizing  Method. 
Fortunately  experience  has  shown  that  it  takes  only 
a  seemingly  short  time  to  enforce  one  or  two  points 
during  an  evening,  because  when  the  object  aimed 
at  is  explained  to  the  singers  they  generally  enter 
into  the  spirit  of  the  quest,  and  when  they  become 
interested  the  time  is  pleasurably  and  profitably 
spent. 


THE  UNION  OF  THE  THREE  METHODS. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  above  that  by  no  one  of 
the  three  methods  alone  can  the  highest  results  be 
achieved,  and  as  the  success  of  the  rehearsals 
depends  upon  the  conductor's  mental  grasp  of  the 
three  methods,  and  his  power  to  blend  the  trinity 
into  a  unity,  it  is  necessary  to  consider  how  and 
when  to  use  the  methods  singly  and  in  combination. 

First  in  order  comes  the  General  Conventional 
Method.  This  should  be  used  almost  exclusively 
for  the  first  two  or  three  rehearsals,  and,  combined 
with  the  other  methods,  should  continue  to  the 
final  rehearsal.  When  the  music  and  words  have 
been  roughly  but  firmly  outlined,  and  the  "  hang  " 
of  the  piece  fairly  grasped,  then  Specializing  or 
Particularizing  treatment  should  supplement  the 
general  coaching. 

The  specializing  should  be  introduced  at  the 
very  earliest  moment,  but  in  the  early  stages  should 
be    applied    in    homoeopathic    doses.      It    is    the 


METHODS   OF   REHEARSAL  15 

opportunist's  method.  It  gives  the  smart  conductor 
the  chance  of  putting  right  a  particularly  knotty 
point,  and,  while  relieving  for  five  minutes  the 
decorous  general  method,  it  also  gives  the  conductor 
credit  for  alertness. 

For  instance,  a  good  method  of  specializing  is  to 
take  one  or  two  difficult  intervals  or  phrases  in  a 
piece,  and,  before  the  music  is  sung  over,  to  pattern 
the  phrase  by  voice  or  pianoforte,  showing  how  it 
should  be  sung.  By  this  means  pitfalls  are 
made  comparatively  easy  to  circumvent,  and 
much  time  is  saved.  As  examples  of  the  kind 
of  phrase  here  meant,  I  would  refer  to  bar  11 
of  Elgar's  "  Go,  song  of  mine,"  where  the 
sudden  transition  from  B  minor  to  E  flat  minor 
is  very  disconcerting  unless  the  mind  of  the 
singer  has  been  prepared  for  it.  Similarly  the 
sopranos  must  be  prepared  for  the  high  G  natural, 
bar  14,  in  F  minor,  which  comes  abruptly  after 
G  flat  in  the  bass  and  contralto  parts  in  bar  13. 
It  will  not  be  necessary  to  multiply  examples  to 
which  this  principle  can  be  applied,  because  almost 
every  modern  piece  contains  one  or  more  phrases 
in  which  it  is  necessary.  This  specializing  should 
not  be  undertaken  without  previous  preparation  on 
the  part  of  the  conductor.  He  should  know  what 
he  wants  and  how  to  go  about  getting  it. 

During  the  early  general  rehearsals  he  should 
notice  any  errors  of  notes,  time,  rhythm,  attack, 
release,  phrasing  and  what  not,  marking  in  blue 
pencil  the  places  that  want  special  attention.  He 
is  then  able  to  form  his  plan  of  operations,  and 
having  decided  upon  his  special  subject  for  the 
next  rehearsal,  he  should  not  be  diverted  from  the 
one  point  by  the  appearance  of  other  errors,  but 


16  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

carry  it  through,  while  noting  the  faults  which 
require  attention  at  a  future  rehearsal. 

It  is  well  known  that  in  nearly  every  piece  there 
are  certain  parts  which  require  much  more  rehearsal 
than,  say,  the  other  nine-tenths,  but  owing  to  the 
inconvenience  of  stopping  a  choir  in  full  swing, 
the  difficulties  are  allowed  to  pass  unnoticed. 
By  applying  this  method  the  desirable  extra 
rehearsal  is  met  with  conspicuous  success  and 
usually  in  a  pleasant  form.  A  feature  of  this 
specializing  is  to  keep  all  the  choir  engaged.  For 
instance,  in  the  mastering  of  a  fugue — especially 
if  the  subject  be  difficult  or  unusual,  as  in  Brahms's 
Requiem — I  ask  all  the  choir  to  sing  both  the 
subject  and  the  answer  in  unison  until  each  is 
practically  learned  by  heart,  the  result  being  brilliant 
attack  in  performance.  If  the  subject  be  florid,  as 
in  "  For  unto  us,"  or  "  Let  Zion's  children  "  (in 
Bach's  Motet,  Sing  ye),  the  whole  choir  sing  each 
part  in  unison  softly,  the  object  being  to  give 
fluency  to  the  runs,  divisions,  or  roulades,  and 
agility  to  the  voice,  the  emphasis  in  these  cases 
being  placed  on  the  improvement  of  the  voice. 

It  is  said  that  the  great  artist  Turner,  the  day 
before  the  Royal  Academy  was  open  to  the  public, 
used  to  touch  up  his  pictures  by  means  of  a  brush 
at  the  end  of  a  long  stick.  This  was  done  to 
accommodate  the  picture  to  the  distance  from  the 
spectator  and  the  surroundings.  This  plan  of 
"final  touching  up"  I  strongly  approve,  and  it 
should  be  carried  out  whenever  it  happens  that 
the  work  is  practically  finished  by  the  time  of  the 
penultimate  rehearsal.  At  the  final  rehearsal  I 
find  it  a  good  plan  to  specialise,  to  impress  upon 
the  minds  of  singers  all  those  details  over  which 


METHODS   OF   REHEARSAL  17 

great  pains  have  been  taken — such  as  pianissimos, 
the  balancing  of  tone  so  that  each  entry  is  heard 
and  each  inner  melody  is  duly  prominent,  the 
maintenance  of  pitch  at  critical  points,  &c,  &c. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  this  last  effort  produces 
maximum  results. 

When,  with  great  saving  of  time  and  temper,  the 
choir  has  been  prepared,  by  the  Conventional  and 
Compartmental  Methods,  for  the  consummation  of 
the  rehearsals,  then  the  Critical  Particularizing 
Method  can  be  introduced  with  advantage  both  to 
the  conductor  and  the  conducted.  It  is  easy  to  see 
how  it  can  now  be  successfully  applied,  because 
each  section — voice,  music,  words,  expression — 
having  been  dealt  with  separately,  all  that  is  needed 
is  to  combine  the  various  constituents  in  a  well- 
balanced  whole.  It  is  as  though  an  artist  had 
made  finished  sketches  of  each  object,  figure  and 
background,  and  then  had  merely  to  harmonize 
them  on  a  single  canvas  into  an  artistic  whole — the 
picture. 

The  conductor  will  find  that  the  worry  to  himself 
and  the  fretting  to  the  choir  have  now  disappeared, 
because  the  singers,  being  in  a  state  of  preparedness, 
can  give  full  attention  and  practical  effect  to  any 
new  demand  of  interpretation.  Further,  at  this 
stage  they  become  by  their  responsiveness  fellow 
helpers,  almost  anticipating  every  wish ;  and 
furthermore,  they  enjoy  the  polishing  process  when 
they  feel  that  they  can  realise  the  conductor's 
ideas.  There  is  now  no  irritation  at  being  stopped 
again  and  again  ;  in  fact  they  like  it,  because  they 
feel  every  interruption  means  improvement  in  one 
point  or  another,  and  this  makes  them  feel  the  joy 
of  successful  conquest,  and  they  leave  the  rehearsal 


18   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

room  shaking  hands  with  themselves  at  what  has 
been  attempted  and  accomplished. 

As  to  the  conductor,  he  will  go  home  delighted, 
and  refreshed  in  spirit  though  perhaps  tired  in 
body.  For  has  he  not  had  the  joy  of  seeing — or 
rather  hearing — his  ideals  of  beauty  materialise  ? 
Like  another  Aladdin,  he  has  only  had  to  call,  and 
lo !  an  artistic  edifice  has  sprung  to  life  at  his 
bidding — happy  man  ! 

In  conclusion  of  this  topic,  I  would  strongly  urge 
highly-strung,  anxious-souled  conductors  not  to 
"  put  the  cart  before  the  horse " — i.e.,  try  to 
force  the  pace  by  neglecting  the  so-called  inartistic 
preliminary  grinding.  If  they  do,  they  will  find,  as 
I  have  found,  that  it  is  a  case  of  more  haste  less 
speed.  I  have  small  faith  in  the  "  make-perfect- 
as-you-go-along "  plan,  but  prefer  the  system  of/ 
arriving  at  perfection  concurrently  with  the  grasping 
of  the  atmosphere  of  the  composition  as  a  whole. 
Like  the  man  who  said  he  knew  honesty  was  the 
best  policy  because  he  had  tried  both,  I  say  I 
have  tried  every  method  of  conducting,  and  the 
plans  I  recommend  above  are  the  best — best  for 
the  music,  best  for  the  choir,  and  best  for  the 
conductor.  I  may  say  that  now  I  never  go  away 
disappointed  from  a  rehearsal,  because  I  always 
get  from  the  choir  as  much  as  I  expected.  The 
first  rehearsal  gives  satisfaction,  the  next  more 
satisfaction,  and  at  each  following  rehearsal  there 
is  generally  a  crescendo  of  pleasurable  feeling  till, 
after  a  final  hypercritical  Particularizing  rehearsal, 
I  feel  jubilant  at  the  splendid  responsiveness  of  the 
choir,  and  look  forward  with  confidence  to  the 
thrills  which  will  be  experienced  at  the  concert  by 
the  conductor,  the  performers,  and  the  audience. 


'9 


VOICE. 

It  has  been  assumed  in  the  foregoing  remarks 
that  reading  ability,  vocal  power  and  control, 
and  temperament  were  all  possessed  by  the 
choralist,  and  at  hand  for  the  conductor,  who 
had  only  to  fit  these  constituents  into  his 
preconceived  plan  in  order  to  realise  all  that 
was  in  his  mind.  Alas,  this  is  seldom  the  case. 
The  conductor  has  often  to  create,  or  develop 
from  a  feeble  germ,  the  elements  which  make  good 
singing  possible.  With  respect  to  the  voice  this  is 
frequently  so.  In  most  choral  societies,  even  in 
those  where  the  voices  are  tested,  there  are  a  great 
majority  of  untrained  voices,  which  may  be  roughly 
classified  as  follows  : — weak  and  quavery,  worn  and 
tinny,  harsh  and  shrill,  strident,  metallic,  shouty, 
throaty,  cavernous,  hooty,  scoopy,  and  nondescript. 
I  have  been  blessed  with  voices  answering  to  each  of 
the  above  classes  for  thirty  or  forty  years,  and  have 
not  wholly  got  rid  of  them  to  the  present  day — and 
yet  I  have  survived !  With  such  singers  as  a 
general  vocal  asset,  is  there  any  wonder  that  the 
most  frequent  question  I  have  had  to  answer  at 
home  and  abroad  has  been  :  "  What  would  you  do 
if  you  had  to  conduct  a  choir  of  poor,  faulty  voices  ?" 
The  questioners  imagined  that  my  choirs  were 
composed  of  trained  singers,  which  is  not  and  has 


20   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

not  been  the  case.  The  obvious  answer  has  always 
been  :  "  Make  the  best  of  the  material  you  have — 
as  I  have  to  do ;  keep  on  pegging  away  on  right 
lines,  and  good  results  will  accrue ;  be  not  too 
impatient,  but  ■  learn  to  labour  and  to  wait.'  "  To 
the  inevitable  question  which  followed :  "  How 
would  you  bring  about  the  improvement  ?  "  I  will 
now  endeavour  to  give  an  answer  in  detail. 

First  let  us  see  what  qualities  of  voice  the 
members  of  a  choral  society  should  possess  : — 

i.  They  should  have  a  fair  amount  of  power. 

2.  The  voices  should  be  properly  produced. 

3.  They  should  have  some  agility  and  flexibility. 

4.  They  should  be  under  good  control. 

5.  When  used  collectively  they  should  be  homo- 

geneous ;  that  is,  each  part  should  sound 
like  one  full,  glorified  voice,  and  not  as  an 
assortment  of  voices.  It  is  the  possibility 
of  getting  this  unity  of  voice — with  well- 
directed  effort  and  a  little  trouble — that 
is  the  bright  spot  and  salvation  of  choral- 
voice  equipment. 

Conductors,  in  their  despair  at  not  having  an 
army  of  Pattis,  Butts,  Lloyds,  and  Santleys,  may 
think  that  they  are  the  victims  of  a  specially  hard 
fate,  but  really  they  have  no  need  to  be  down- 
hearted. 

Every  society  is  made  up  of  average  voices,  and 
my  experience  is  that  there  is  not  nearly  so  much 
difference  as  some  would  have  us  believe  in  the 
average  voices,  such  as  are  to  be  found  all  through 
the  English  -  speaking  countries.  I  make  this 
statement    with    the    special    object    of    inspiring 


HOMOGENEITY   OF  VOICE  21 

conductors  with  hope,  and  of  assuring  them 
that  they  have  great  potentialities  at  hand  in  their 
choirs  if  they  will  only  make  up  their  minds  to 
expend  the  requisite  labour. 

To  quote  only  one  instance,  out  of  many,  of  what 
can  be  done  with  a  set  of  average  voices — and  that 
a  low  average, — I  would  say  that  the  fifty  singers 
who  established  the  reputation  of  the  Sheffield 
Musical  Union  were  all  young  and  untrained,  and 
not  one  was  tested  for  voice  in  any  form,  the  sole 
qualification  being  the  possession  of  the  elementary 
certificate  of  the  Tonic  Sol-fa  College,  or,  in  later 
years,  the  alternative  of  a  similar  certificate  in  the 
staff  notation. 

The  fact  is,  really  good  results  can  be  obtained 
from  a  choir  of  average  voices  if  the  following 
hints  and  instructions  are  carried  out,  and  the 
conductor  is  willing  to  "  labour  and  to  wait," 
instead  of,  like  most  inefficient  workmen,  grumbling 
at  his  tools. 


HOW  TO  SECURE   HOMOGENEITY  OF  VOICE. 

The  problem  of  how  to  blend  the  harsh,  dull, 
and  twangy  voices  of  untrained  singers  into  an 
agreeable  unity  is  not  so  difficult  as  it  appears  at 
first  sight.  The  defects  enumerated  above  (page  19) 
nearly  all  arise  from  one  source — the  wrong  placing 
of  the  voice,  which,  stated  in  simple  language, 
means  that  the  air  current  after  it  has  passed  over 
the  vocal  chords  (the  larynx)  when  producing 
sound  is  allowed  to  proceed  in  the  wrong  direction, 
or  lacks  control.  Therefore  all  that  is  necessary  is 
to  get  the  choralist  to  control  the  breath,  and  direct 
the  sounding  air  current  to  one  approved  spot  or 


22   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

region  in  the  mouth  where  the  sound  seems  to  float 
on  the  breath.  This  spot  or  region  lies  between 
the  front  of  the  mouth — just  where  the  teeth  join 
the  palate — and  the  lips,  according  to  the  kind  and 
quality  of  tone  required.  Of  course  it  is  more 
difficult  to  get  a  large  body  of  singers  to  do  this 
than  a  single  individual,  but  there  is  always  a  good 
percentage  who  follow  instructions  and  can  success- 
fully imitate  a  pattern,  and  this  is  the  leaven  which 
permeates  the  whole  choir  in  time,  though  not  as 
quickly  as  some  conductors  desire. 

In  my  scheme  of  choral  voice-building  I  start 
with  the  three  axioms : — 

i.  The  exercises,  and  the  time  spent  in  voice 
exercises,  must  be  short. 

2.  The   exercises   must  be  very  easy,  so   that 

they  can  be  memorized  and  sung 
automatically,  and  thus  prevent  the 
mind  from  being  diverted  from  the 
object   to  be   attained. 

3.  The  exercises  must  unfailingly  lead  to  the 

desired  result. 
Long     experience    and    uniform    success   have 
shown  the  wisdom  of  these  axioms,  the  practical 
application  of  which  now  follows. 

On  a  blackboard  I  write  this  exercise  : 

"  Write  and  memorize  the  following  : — 
Ex.  1. 


I 


i^^jj^ss=Ei=i 


Sing  to  the  vowels  00,  oh,  aw,  ah,  at,  ee." 

Before    giving    the     pattern   for   the   choir    to 

imitate   I   explain   the    particular   point   they  are 

to    aim    at — unity   of   tone — remarking    that    the 


HOMOGENEITY   OF  VOICE  23 

singers  themselves  have  shown  how  necessary  it  is 
to  have  some  exercises  for  this  purpose,  as  there 
are  so  many  conflicting  tone  -  qualities — harsh, 
strident,  raucous,  dull,  hooty,  throaty,  twangy — 
amongst  them. 

I  explain  that  the  disagreeable  effect  of  some  of 
these  tone  -  qualities  (the  strident,  the  nasal,  the 
guttural,  the  throaty,  &c.)  is  due  to  the  harsh 
harmonics  which  are  developed  by  their  faulty 
voice-production,  which  harmonics  refuse  to  blend 
with  any  other  sound ;  hence  the  heterogeneity  of 
tone.  The  remedy  for  this  is  to  direct  the  voice,  or 
in  other  words  the  air  column,  as  they  sing,  to  the 
front  of  the  mouth,  when,  the  harmonics  being 
fewer,  more  consonant,  and  approximately  the 
same,  they  will  blend  sufficiently  well  to  produce 
an  agreeable  compound  tone ;  thus  all  throatiness, 
twang,  hooting,  &c,  will  disappear.  This  I 
show  by  giving  specimens  of  each  fault  and 
its  remedy,  driving  home  the  fact  that  a  person's 
natural  voice  is  not  unalterable,  like  the  colour  of 
his  eyes,  but  is  subject  to  control  by  the  will  of  the 
singer.  This  preliminary  explanation  over,  I  then 
sing  Ex.  1  very  softly  in  key  Bt>,  to  the  vowel  oo, 
with  the  sound  at  my  lips.  The  choir  then 
imitate  the  pattern.  Many  fail  to  do  it,  but  there 
are  a  good  number  who  imitate  well,  and  these  act 
as  a  stimulus  to  the  unsuccessful.  We  try  again, 
with  better  results.  Having  secured  good  blending 
tone  on  00,  I  then  pattern  ee,  calling  attention  to 
a  better  quality  of  tone.  The  singers  are  also 
urged  to  observe  their  own  physical  sensations — 
the  feeling  of  the  muscles  in  the  mouth — when 
producing  the  ee  sound,  as  it  will  be  of  great 
advantage   later,   when   developing  another  vocal 


24  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

point.  When  the  pattern  has  been  imitated 
successfully,  I  stop.  The  above  explanations  and 
exercises  will  have  taken  from  twenty  to  thirty 
minutes — much  too  long  as  a  regular  thing,  but 
when  a  new  topic  is  introduced,  and  you  feel  that 
you  have  the  interested  choir  with  you,  extra  time 
may  be  taken  once  in  a  way.  This  remark  applies 
to  any  subject  relating  to  the  work  of  the  choir. 
At  the  next  rehearsal  we  get  a  step  further — taking, 
say,  fifteen  minutes — in  developing  unity  of  tone 
on  all  the  vowels.  This  I  do  in  the  following 
manner : — I  pattern  Ex.  i  in  key  Bb  to  the  vowel  oo, 
which  the  choir  imitate.  Then  the  vowels  oh,  aw, 
ah,  ai,  ee,  are  taken  in  succession.  The  choir  then 
sing  the  vowels  without  pattern  in  keys  C  and  D, 
patterning  being  resorted  to  when  any  glaring 
faults  need  correction.  By  the  third  week  we  get 
into  what  is  the  normal  method  of  carrying  on 
voice-building  exercises,  which  should  not  take  up 
more  than  five  minutes,  because  choralists  resent 
the  time  of  rehearsal  being  taken  up  by  things 
outside  the  music  set  down  for  rehearsal. 

The  procedure  is  as  follows: — The  accom- 
panist strikes  the  chord  of  Bi?  or  C,  and  the 
choir  immediately  sing  Ex.  1  to  00,  very  softly. 
Immediately  this  is  done  the  chord  of  B  is 
struck,  and  at  once  the  exercise  is  sung  to  oh. 
Rising  by  semitones  for  twelve  semitones  the 
exercise  is  sung  to  each  vowel  in  turn,  until  each 
vowel  has  been  taken  twice.  At  the  second  higher 
repetition  of  the  vowels  the  contraltos  and 
basses  sing  an  octave  lower  than  the  sopranos 
and  tenors.  Although  this  unifying  exercise  is 
short  (five  minutes)  its  effect  is  great,  because 
it  influences   the   tone-production  all  through  the 


HOMOGENEITY  OF  VOICE  25 

rehearsal,  and  further,  it  is  largely  used  in 
private  rehearsal  by  those  who  are  keen  about 
improving  their  voices. 

A  few  cautions  may  with  advantage  be  given 
here.  When  oneness  of  tone  has  been  secured,  it 
must  not  be  supposed  that  each  voice  is  of  the 
same  quality  (timbre).  This  would  in  many  cases 
be  an  undesirable  thing.  What  is  wanted  in 
choral  singing  is  a  rich  compound  tone,  made  up  of 
voices  of  various  timbres,  which  has  the  disagreeable 
excesses  of  individuality  so  modified  that  the 
characteristic  qualities  of  one  set  of  voices  form 
the  complement  of  another  set  or  other  sets,  the 
combination  making  an  agreeable  whole. 

Those  who  have  seen  great  artists  mix  incon- 
gruous colours  to  get  a  certain  tint  will  understand 
how  it  is  possible  to  get,  say,  a  glorified  soprano 
tone  from  a  mixture  of  ordinary  voices.  Therefore 
when  a  conductor  hears,  in  solo,  Miss  A's  rather 
shrill  voice,  he  must  not  be  worried,  but  think  how 
beautifully  it  will  add  brightness  to  Miss  B's  heavy, 
full  voice ;  and  instead  of  being  despondent  at 
Miss  C's  dull,  characterless  voice,  he  must  rejoice 
that  it  acts  as  a  foil  to  Miss  D's  rather  strident 
vocal  organ. 

Beyond  certain  limits,  to  which  reference  will  be 
made  later,  it  is  a  mistake  to  labour  for  too  much 
similarity  of  tone.  It  is  better  to  get  good  blending 
voices  of  varied  qualities.  I  know  of  a  choir  which 
consists  of  the  present  and  past  pupils  of  a  professor 
of  singing.  He  has  trained  them  well,  but  although 
they  sing  with  taste  and  feeling  and  the  voices 
are  good  individually,  through  their  having  been 
formed  or  trained  on  one  model,  and  that  on  the 
rather  hard,  bright  side,  the  effect  is  unsatisfactory, 


26  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

there  being  a  disagreeable  suggestion  of  acidity  in 
the  tone. 

Another  necessary  caution  is : — In  all  choral- 
voice  exercises  avoid  too  much  use  of  the  vowel 
oo.  The  forward  tone  is  so  easily  obtained  by 
this  vowel  that  some  conductors  and  many  church 
choirmasters,  taking  the  line  of  least  resistance,  use 
oo  to  such  an  extent  that  everything  the  choir 
sings  is  dominated  with  oo ;  consequently  the 
dull,  cavernous  sound  spoils  the  effect  of  all  their 
efforts,  just  as  the  "ooey" — often  hooty — wordless 
voices  of  many  choirboys  are  an  infliction. 

Each  vowel  must  be  taken  in  turn,  and  if  in  the 
earlier  stages  any  vowels  are  favoured,  let  them 
be  ai  and  ee,  as  these  favour  "nasal  resonance," 
which  will  be  referred  to  later.  It  should  be  said 
however,  that  at  the  first  few  lessons  it  is  sometimes 
necessary  to  use  oo  as  a  starting  point  for  the 
other  vowels,  in  order  to  coax  the  air  current  into 
its  proper  place,  as  oo-oh  =  woe,  oo-aw  -  waw, 
oo-ah  =  wah,  oo-ai  =  way,  oo-ee  =  we. 

EXTENDING    THE    COMPASS    OF    THE    VOICE. 

The  next  essential  of  a  choir  is  adequate  compass. 
In  many  choruses  the  sopranos  and  tenors  "  shy  " 
at  the  high  notes,  or  negotiate  them  badly.  This 
is  really  not  necessary,  as  both  sopranos  and  tenors 
can  be  "  nursed  "  into  taking  high  G's,  A's,  and 
B's  easily. 

Ex.  i  is  a  splendid  vehicle  by  which  to  extend 
the  compass  of  the  voices,  and  if  in  the  exercises  for 
unifying  the  voices  it  has  been  used  with  judgment, 
the  compass  of  the  voices  will  have  extended  to 
some  extent  unconsciously,  and  prepared  the  way 


POWER  OF  VOICE  27 

for  the  time  when  more  definite  instructions  as  to 
the  extension  of  the  compass  of  the  voice  are 
demanded. 

The  following  plan  I  have  found  to  be  very 
successful : — I  strike  the  chord  of  F  and  ask  the 
choir  to  sing  Ex.  1  to  the  vowel  00  very  softly, 
to  fix  the  air  current.  (The  basses  and  contraltos 
sing  an  octave  below  the  sopranos  and  tenors.) 
The  same  exercise  is  sung  to  ai,  this  time  mezzo- 
forte,  and  again  to  the  vowel  ee,  forte.  F  sharp 
is  then  struck,  and  the  same  process  repeated. 
Rising  by  semitones,  we  proceed  to  key  Bb, 
B  or  C.  The  singers  soon  realise  that  by 
proper  placing  of  the  voice  they  can  reach  the  high 
notes  with  comparative  ease,  and  in  a  short  time 
there  is  little  difficulty  with  respect  to  the  high 
notes  in  any  voice  part. 

The  results  of  this  compass-extending  exercise  are 
so  satisfactory  that  the  sopranos  and  tenors  of  all 
my  choirs  can  easily  sing  the  high  B  flat  and 
B  natural  in  Elgar's  "  Go,  song  of  mine,"  leaping 
at  the  notes  and  hitting  them  in  the  middle  with 
true  "shock  of  the  glottis." 

DEVELOPING    POWER    OF    VOICE. 

The  third  requisite  of  a  choir  is  power,  or  at 
least  ring  and  intensity  of  voice.  The  unifying  and 
extension  of  the  compass  of  the  voice,  mentioned 
above,  are  very  important  elements,  but  if  power 
and  ring  of  voice  be  absent,  you  can  at  best  only 
get  smooth,  sweet,  decorous  singing,  such  as  is 
heard  at  genteel  conventional  suburban  societies. 
But  with  tone  of  this  sort  it  is  impossible  to  get 
grand  climaxes ;  consequently  there  are  no  thrills, 


28  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

no  uplift  of  the  heart,  no  stirring  of  the  emotions — 
nothing,  in  fact,  to  send  a  glow  of  delight  through 
the  audience.  Hence  the  power  to  produce  the  six 
degrees  of  fortissimo,  which  Mr.  Kalisch  referred  to 
as  being  present  in  the  Sheffield  Chorus,  must  be 
cultivated  and  secured. 

I  am  happy  to  be  able  to  say  that  this  power  of 
voice  can  be  obtained  by  a  choir  of  good  average 
voices,  as  I  have  demonstrated  hundreds  of  times. 

When  a  professional  musical  critic  I  was  often 
struck  with  the  effect  produced  upon  the  hearer 
by  a  few  notes,  or  a  phrase,  drawn  white-hot, 
as  it  were,  from  a  violin  by  a  brilliant  player. 
The  mental  disturbance  was  quite  disproportionate 
to  the  quantity  or  volume  of  sound  produced, 
for  the  sum  total  of  the  sound  could  be  drowned 
by  a  single  strong-lunged  chorister.  On  analysing 
the  cause  of  the  "  thrill,"  I  found  that  it  was  due 
to  the  intensity  of  the  sound  produced  by  the 
player's  firm  attack  and  nervous  energy.  This 
taught  me  a  lesson,  and  gave  me  a  principle 
which  I  applied  to  choral  music  in  order  to  get 
thrills  at  a  crisis  or  climax. 

When  a  conductor  has  made  up  his  mind  that 
the  time  and  conditions  are  ripe  for  cultivating 
power  of  voice,  he  must  be  alert  to  seize  the 
favourable  opportunity  to  introduce  the  subject. 
Let  it  be  at  a  point  where  six  fortes  would  not  be  too 
much — say  the  end  of  a  massive  chorus,  or  a 
phrase  like  "  Overwhelmed,"  in  Elgar's  King  Olaf, 
where  the  singers  themselves  realise  that  more 
power  is  wanted.  With  this  as  a  cue  to  yourself, 
and  as  a  splendid  peg  to  hang  your  instructions 
upon,  break  in  upon  the  rehearsal  by  giving 
them  a  dose  of  "  Specializing,"  the  subject  being 


POWER  OF  VOICE  29 

"  How  to  strengthen  the  voice  so  as  to  produce  a 
thrilling  climax."  Being  a  new,  interesting,  and 
desirable  topic,  the  choir  will  cheerfully  tolerate 
a  twenty  to  twenty-five  minutes'  break — fifteen 
minutes  for  explanation  and  ten  for  exercises. 

The  following  is  an  outline  of  my  explanatory 
matter  and  the  method  I  adopt  when  introducing 
and  working  up  this  important  feature  of  choralism. 

I  begin  by  saying  that  "  At  every  concert  the 
audience  should  experience  at  least  six  thrills. 
A  concert  without  thrills  is  like  a  cloud  without 
water  at  drought  time,  or  bread  without  salt — 
unsatisfactory  and  unsatisfying.  Thrills  can  be 
produced  by  charming  pianissimos  and  well-graded 
crescendos  and  diminuendos,  but  most  of  all  by 
stirring  fortissimo  climaxes.  It  is  evident  to  you  all 
that  to  get  a  rousing  climax  we  shall  have  to  sing 
louder  and  with  more  brilliance.  Seeing  that  you 
seem  to  be  singing  with  all  your  power,  you  may 
think  it  impossible  to  sing  louder.  In  that  you  are 
mistaken.  Though  you  had  the  impression  it  was 
your  loudest,  you  can  sing  twice  as  loudly  and, 
what  is  of  greater  importance,  with  greater  intensity. 
The  question  arises,  *  How  is  it  to  be  done  ? ' 
This  I  will  show  you  after  I  have  explained  why 
my  instructions  should  be  followed. 

"  The  science  of  acoustics  teaches  us  that 
differences  in  the  loudness  of  sounds  depend 
upon  the  amplitude  of  vibration  of  the  sounding 
medium — that  is,  say  in  a  violin,  upon  the 
difference  in  the  size  of  the  swing  of  the 
sounding  string.  Further,  the  science  teaches  us 
that  the  loudness  varies  according  to  the  square 
of  the  amplitude ;  that  is,  if  a  certain  swing — say 
the  vibration  of  a  violin  string — produces  one  unit 


30  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

of  sound,  a  swing  twice  as  great  will  produce  not 
merely  twice  as  much  sound — two  units — but  four 
units  ;  and  if  the  player  causes  the  string  to  have 
three  times  as  much  motion  it  will  produce  nine 
units,  and  four  times  will  produce  sixteen,  and 
so  on. 

"  Now  compressed  air  agitating  the  vocal  cords 
produces  the  same  results.  Therefore,  if  you 
compress  the  air  in  your  lungs  twice  as  much  as 
usual  when  you  are  producing  a  given  note  or 
phrase,  you  will  get  four  times  the  sound,  and,  what 
is  still  more  important,  you  give  an  impression  of 
intensity  of  feeling  which  heightens  the  thrill  of 
the  fortissimo. 

11  It  will  be  seen  from  the  above  that  comparative 
loudness  resolves  itself  into  a  question  of  breathing 
and  control  of  breath.  The  correct  manner  of 
breathing  for  vocal  purposes, especially  for  strenuous 
singing,  is  by  the  side-rib  (Lateral  Costal)  method, 
of  which  the  following  is  an  example."  Here  I 
pattern  the  method  by  placing  my  left  hand  on 
the  pit  of  the  stomach  and  the  thumb  of  my 
right  hand  on  the  side-rib,  making  the  tips  of 
the  fingers  of  the  right  hand  touch  the  tips  of  the 
left  hand,  as  shown  in  Fig.  I. 

I  then  take  a  deep  breath,  with  the  result  that 
there  is  an  expansion  all  round  the  base  of  the 
lungs.  The  expansion  affects  not  only  the  muscles 
at  the  pit  of  the  stomach,  which  are  on  a  level  with 
the  floating  ribs,  but  these  ribs  also.  In  the 
following  (Fig.  2)  the  side-rib  expansion  is 
shown  by  the  space  between  the  finger-tips, 
but  the  pronounced  frontal  expansion  of  the 
muscles  of  the  pit  of  the  stomach  is  scarcely 
discernible. 


By  permission  of  W.  T.  Furness,  Sheffield. 
FlG.     I. 


By  permission  of  W.T.  Furness,  Sheffield. 

Fig.  2. 


POWER  OF  VOICE  31 

It  should  be  remarked  that  many  professors  of 
singing  regard  these  particular  muscles  as  the  pivot 
upon  which  rests  all  breath  control.  While 
acknowledging  that  they  play  an  important  part,  I 
recognise  that  the  ribs  are  an  effective  factor  in  the 
regulation  of  the  breath,  hence  my  advocacy  of  the 
Lateral  Costal  method. 

This  outward  expansion  of  the  upper  muscles 
of  the  abdomen  seems  to  assimilate  it  with  the 
abdominal  method;  but  though  incidental  to  the 
costal  method  it  differs  from  the  abdominal  method, 
which  causes  all  the  abdomen — the  lower  as  well 
as  the  upper  muscles — to  protrude. 

If  there  be  room  for  the  choir  to  stand  and  go 
through  the  exercise  I  may  ask  them  to  do  it,  but  if 
not  they  do  it  as  well  as  they  can  as  they  sit ;  but 
they  are  urged  to  practise  it  at  home.  The  next 
step  is  to  show  how,  after  taking  breath,  the 
abdomen  is  drawn  in,  and  the  diaphragm  forced  up 
to  support  the  expanded  ribs  and  thus  compress  the 
air.  This  done,  I  ask  the  choir  to  take  a  good 
breath,  following  my  example,  and  to  convey  to 
them  how  to  do  it  I  ask  the  singers  to  breathe 
as  though  they  were  going  to  lift  a  heavy  weight  or 
to  expand  themselves  as  though  they  were  trying 
to  touch  the  sides  of  the  room  with  their  ribs! 
A  scale  or  a  particular  phrase  which  requires  the 
fortissimo  effect  is  sung  under  this  increased  breath 
pressure,  and  the  result  is  generally  surprising  to 
the  choir.  The  success  proves  an  incentive  to 
further  effort,  and  after  a  time  astonishing 
fortissimos  are  realised  by  choirs  who  did  not  think 
they  had  such  reserve  of  power.  This  practice 
gives  to  singers  the  power  of  "  holding  the  breath  at 
the  waist,"  which  is  of  great  importance. 


32   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

It  should  be  remarked  that  these  special  fortisslmos 
should  not  be  used  too  often — say  not  more  than 
thrice  in  an  evening — and  they  should  not  be 
attempted  until  the  words  and  the  music  are 
thoroughly  mastered  by  the  choir,  in  fact  learned 
by  heart,  so  that  undivided  attention  can  be  given 
to  the  management  of  the  breath  and  to  the 
proper  placing  of  the  voices  so  as  to  avoid  putting 
strain  upon  the  vocal  organs. 


ATTACK. 

The  importance  of  attack — the  striking  of  the 
notes  firmly  and  cleanly — may  be  gauged  by  the 
fact  that  however  well  the  piece  may  be  sung  in  all 
other  respects,  if  the  notes  are  not  struck  firmly, 
especially  high  notes  and  points  of  imitation,  the 
whole  performance  falls  flat.  Poor  attack  renders 
all  performances  unconvincing,  while  to  hear  each 
and  every  part  triumphantly  hit  the  bull's-eye  is 
exhilarating  to  a  degree. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  attack,  which  I  name  the 
Mechanical  and  the  Artistic.  The  mechanical  is 
that  firm  singing  which  arises  from  such  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  music  that  the  singer,  confident 
of  his  powers,  can  "  go  for  "  the  note  or  notes  even 
in  difficult  passages.  Though  each  note  may  not 
be  struck  in  the  most  perfect  way,  the  general 
effect  is  good  and  stirring.  The  artistic  attack 
super-adds  to  the  mechanical  attack — which  it 
includes — clean  striking  of  each  note,  hitting  it  in 
the  middle,  without  the  trimmings  or  incubus  of  a 
scoop,  drawl,  or  glide,  the  last-named  occurring 
when  the  note  is  struck  a  shade  sharp  or  flat.  This 
artistic  attack  is  the  goal  to  be  striven  for,  but  it 


ATTACK  33 

must  be  clearly  understood  that  it  cannot  be 
utilised  until  the  mechanical  attack  is  attained. 
When  the  artistic  attack  is  mastered  it  means  the 
attainment  of  that  consummation  desired  by  all 
singers — the  true  "  shock  of  the  glottis  " — the  coup 
de  la  glotte  of  Garcia.  This  term,  open  as  it  is  to 
misinterpretation,  is  not  a  happy  description  of  the 
vocal  action  it  describes,  as  there  is  not  or  need 
not  be  a  shock  as  we  understand  the  term.  It 
merely  means  that  at  the  moment  of  the  air 
passing  through  the  larynx  to  make  a  sound 
by  means  of  the  vocal  cords,  these  cords  are 
firmly  stretched  at  the  right  tension,  and  the 
note  struck  is  exactly  the  pitch  required  without 
any  adjustment  being  necessary,  as  there  would 
be  if  the  note  were  struck  half  or  quarter  of  a  tone 
sharp  or  flat. 

This  synchronization  of  the  two  factors — breath 
and  vocal  cords — seems  such  a  formidable  thing, 
and  the  term  "  shock  of  the  glottis  "  appears  so 
fearsome,  that  it  strikes  a  kind  of  terror  into  many 
minds.  But  there  is  no  need  to  feel  alarmed. 
The  "  shock  of  the  glottis  "  comes  naturally  and 
subconsciously  to  most  people.  Like  the  man  who 
was  astonished  to  learn  that  he  had  been  talking 
prose  all  his  life,  many  singers  will  be  equally 
surprised  to  know  that  every  note  which  they  have 
sung,  which  was  struck  perfectly  in  tune,  was  sung 
with  true  shock  of  the  glottis.  Some  persons 
possess  this  accomplishment  naturally.  Some 
through  carelessness  have  let  it  slip  from  them, 
while  a  small  percentage  have  great  difficulty  in 
striking  notes  accurately. 

Coming  back  to  attack  in  choral  singing,  most 
notes    and   phrases   can    be   and   are    sung    with 


34  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


satisfactory  clearness.  But  there  are  passages 
which  present  difficulties  to  every  singer. 

The  chief  of  these  are : — (a)  detached  staccato 
notes,  (b)  quickly  reiterated  notes,  (c)  high  reiterated 
notes,  whether  sung  quickly  or  slowly,  and  (d)  high 
or  low  notes  approached  by  leap. 

To  overcome  these  difficulties  two  things  are 
necessary:  (i)  Exercises  to  train  the  required 
muscles  to  respond  at  will  to  make  the  proper 
adjustment  of  the  vocal  cords,  (2)  mental  preparation 
on  the  part  of  the  singer  before  the  difficult  notes 
are  sung. 

The  following  exercise  is  the  one  I  use  for 
developing  "  attack." 

Sing  to  ah,  ai,  ce,  00,  oh,  aw — in  keys  Bb,  Eb  : — 


Ex.  2. 


-, 1- 


._ 


To  the  above  is  added  Ex.  1,  sung  staccato,  slowly 
and  then  quickly. 

The  best  time  to  introduce  the  subject  is  when  a 
good  "  peg"  offers  full  justification — say  the  failure 
of  the  sopranos  to  sing  a  passage  like  the  opening 
of  "  And  He  shall  purify,"  or  the  leaps  in  the  bass 
solo  passage  "  Et  iterum  "  in  Bach's  B  minor  Mass. 
When  the  opening  has  presented  itself,  explain  why 
some  exercises  are  necessary,  and  then  take  Ex.  2 
legato  and  staccato. 

During  the  course  of  the  study  period  the 
conductor  should  pattern  the  exercise,  explain  about 
the  shock  of  the  glottis,  and  convince  the  choralists 
that  good  attack  is  easy  of  attainment  with  forward 
tone.  Three  or  five  minutes'  exercise  puts  them  on 
the  right  track,  and  with  right  principles  in  mind 


ATTACK  35 

the  singers  soon  develop  satisfactory  u  attack." 
It  should  be  pointed  out  to  the  choir  that  although 
the  vocal  cords  are  in  the  larynx,  they  must  never 
associate  the  production  of  sound  with  the  throat, 
but  always  with  the  front  part  of  the  mouth,  from 
which  all  good  tone  seems  to  emanate.  It  used  to 
be  said  of  Sims  Reeves  that  you  could  always  feel 
and  even  see  where  his  tones  came  from,  and  the 
charm  of  the  sounds  was  that  they  never  varied  in 
the  quality  though  they  were  wonderfully  varied 
in  shading. 

This  is  what  singers  must  strive  for,  if  they  wish 

,  to  have  every  note  cleanly  struck.  It  is  through 
associating  the  voice  with  the  throat  that  many 
have  gone  wrong,  and  have  been  unable  to  strike 
notes  firmly,  because  they  have  tried  to  control  by 

Iwill  what  should  be  done  subconsciously;  they 
have  tried  to  experience  a  "shock"  where  there  is 
no  shock,  but  merely  an  automatic  response  to  the 
will  by  unconscious  cerebration.  If  singers  will 
keep  their  minds  fixed  on  the  forward-in-the-mouth- 
point  of  the  breath  impact,  and  ignore  entirely  all 
thought  of  the  vocal  cords,  difficulties  of  attack 
and  shock  of  the  glottis  will  vanish. 

When  a  series  of  high  notes  has  to  be  struck — 
for  instance,  the  phrase  in  "  And  He  shall  purify," 
or  the  high  A's  in  the  Choral  Symphony,  or 
the  fugal  subject  in  "  Et  vitam  venturi "  in 
Beethoven's  Mass  in  D  —  if  there  be  bad 
attack  it  is  probably  due  to  the  giving  way  of  the 
muscles  of  the  throat,  rather  than  to  any  defect  of 
the  voice.  The  partial  collapse  or  shrinkage  of  the 
muscles  causes  a  disturbance  and  diversion  of  the  air 
current,  and  the  muscles  not  having  time  to  recover 
before  the  next  note  is  struck,  we  get  that  uncertain 


36  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

scooping  effect  due  to  the  gliding  up  to  the  note 
from  a  semitone  or  even  two  tones  below  pitch. 

Bad  attack  due  to  this  cause  is  easily  remedied. 
Tell  the  singers  to  will  that  the  muscles  of  the 
mouth  remain  in  one  position  while  they  sing  these 
high  reiterated  notes,  in  order  that  the  air  current 
shall  not  be  deflected  from  striking  the  front  of  the 
mouth  (just  where  the  teeth  join  the  palate)  and 
they,  knowing  precisely  what  to  do,  will  accomplish 
their  desire  with  brilliant  effect.  This  at  least  has 
been  the  experience  of  my  choruses. 

To  get  clean,  firm  attack  on  high  or  difficult 
notes,  where  dramatic  intensity  is  required,  it  is 
necessary  for  the  singer  to  prepare  for  the  attack 
by  mentalizing  the  note  and  controlling  his  voice- 
production.  If  there  be  no  inertia  in  the  singers, 
this  can  always  be  done  and  success  achieved. 


PIANISSIMO,  MAINTENANCE  OF  NASAL  RESONANCE, 
AND  "  ARTIST  "  TONE-QUALITY. 

There  are  several  things  pertaining  to  the 
management  of  the  voice,  such  as  obtaining  tone 
colour — white,  dark,  bright,  sombre — and  charac- 
terization of  tone — the  laugh,  the  jeer,  the  snarl,  &c. 
— as  well  as  particular  features  in  the  management  of 
the  voice, — such  as  the  staccato,  the  swell,  s/orzando, 
and  other  points  of  the  dynamics  of  sound, — which 
might  be  considered  in  this  chapter,  but  which  will 
be  better  dealt  with  under  the  head  of  "  Expression." 

PIANISSIMO  AND  PERFECT  PITCH. 

There  is  however  one  exception  to  this,  and  that 
is  "  How  to  obtain  pianissimo  in  choral  singing." 


PIANISSIMO   SINGING  37 

This  point  touches  so  many  vital  considerations  in 
connection  with  the  voice  that  it  must  be  considered 
under  the  head  of  "Voice,"  rather  than  in  the  chapter 
on  "Expression,"  although  it  is  an  important  factor 
in  that  topic. 

To  sing  pianissimo  with  firmness  and  at  the  same 
time  to  maintain  the  pitch  postulates  a  vocal 
technique  which  comparatively  few  people  possess  ; 
and  yet  with  proper  instruction  a  choir  can  be 
trained  to  meet  the  severe  demands  imposed  by 
the  dual  task.  Of  course  an  indifferent  choir  can 
sing  pianissimo,  and,  at  times,  come  through  the 
ordeal  of  keeping  the  pitch  successfully — more  by 
good  luck  or  elation  of  spirit  than  by  mastery  of 
voice ;  but  what  I  wish  to  show  is  that  choristers 
can  be  trained  so  that  normally  they  will  be  able  to 
sing  pianissimo  and  maintain  the  pitch  without 
being  surprised, — the  surprise  being  when  they  fail 
to  do  so.  As  already  said,  soft,  firm  singing 
demands  great  skill,  and  as  every  artistic  attain- 
ment necessarily  involves  a  long  preparation,  I 
will  go  to  the  root  of  the  matter  and  note  the 
evolution  of  the  necessary  equipment  and  control 
of  breath. 

When  a  new  or  inexperienced  choir  have  been 
rehearsing  a  modern  work  for  some  weeks — say 
six — the  time  will  have  come  for  them  to 
endeavour  to  sing  certain  passages  with  really  soft 
tone.  In  all  probability  they  will  fail  to  satisfy  the 
conductor,  even  after  two  or  three  attempts.  These 
repeated  failures  should  be  welcome,  as  they  give 
the  conductor  his  opportunity  to  introduce  the 
questions  of  soft  singing  and  artistic  voice  control. 

The  first  step  should  be  to  fix  a  standard  of 
pianissimo,  and   make  the    choir  realise  what  the 


38  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

standard  is.  To  do  this  the  conductor  should 
pattern  Ex.  i  to  the  vowel  oo  very  softly,  asking 
the  choir  to  listen  for  the  ticking  of  the  clock 
above  his  voice.  The  choir  then  imitate  that 
pattern,  and,  after  a  few  attempts,  with  sundry 
admonitions  from  the  conductor  to  keep  the  tone 
at  the  very  lips,  they  will  be  gratified  by  hearing 
the  "tick,  tock"  of  the  clock  over  all  their  voices. 
Some  people  may  think  this  impossible,  but  I  hear 
this  many  times  every  week.  A  short  time  ago, 
when  Sir  Frederic  Cowen  was  conducting  the  final 
rehearsal  of  his  fine  work  The  Veil,  I  told  him 
to  listen  for  the  ticking  of  the  clock,  as  when  we 
heard  this  we  knew  we  were  singing  sufficiently 
pianissimo;  and  sure  enough,  under  his  beat,  we 
could  hear  distinctly,  in  every  part  of  the  room,  the 
ticking  of  the  ordinary  eight-day  clock  over  the 
four  hundred  voices,  every  one  singing. 

When  the  choir  have  grasped  the  standard  of 
pp  or  ppp,  ask  them  to  sing  the  exercise  again,  this 
time  noting  the  physical  sensation — or  lack  of 
sensation — of  the  muscles  of  the  throat,  mouth, 
tongue,  and  lips,  and  to  realise  mentally  how  they 
place  the  breath  current,  or  "  tube  of  air,"  near 
the  lips.  Now  ask  for  the  phrase  in  the  work  which 
is  being  rehearsed  to  be  sung  to  the  words.  The 
probabilities  are  that  while  there  is  a  gain  of 
softness  there  will  be  a  loss  of  pitch.  Try  again, 
and  the  result  will  be  nearly  the  same.  The 
choir  by  this  time  will  probably  be  as  interested  and 
as  anxious  to  remedy  the  fault  as  is  the  conductor; 
therefore  their  palpable  shortcomings  give  the  latter 
his  chance  of  making  the  welcome  announcement 
that  at  the  next  rehearsal  he  will  give  most 
important  and  definite  instructions  how,  in  future, 


NASAL    RESONANCE  39 

to  avoid  flattening  when  singing  pp,  and,  growing 
out  of  these  instructions,  how  to  secure  "  the  artist 
tone-production. 

During  the  next  rehearsal,  at  the  first  favourable 
opportunity — an  effort  should  always  be  made  to 
do  the  right  thing  at  the  right  time — introduce  the 
subject  of  "  Flattening,  and  how  to  remedy  it." 
Briefly  state  that  flattening  may  be  due  to  a  number 
of  causes,  such  as  fatigue  of  body,  indolence  of 
mind — inertia,  of  which  much  will  be  said  later — 
not  knowing  the  music  and  words,  vitiated  air, 
atmospheric  conditions,  &c. ;  but  more  than  all  by 
faulty  voice-production.  This  last  cause  may  be 
said  to  be  chiefly  an  ignorance  or  disregard  of 
that  modification  of  the  voice  known  as  nasal 
resonance. 

Here  let  me  insert  a  short  disquisition  on  the 
important  topic  of  Nasal  Resonance,  because  so 
few  of  the  conductors  whom  I  have  met  are 
sufficiently  acquainted  with,  or  sufficiently  under- 
stand, its  import. 

By  "  singing  with  nasal  resonance,"  is  meant 
the  enriching  of  the  voice  by  so  adjusting  the 
sounding  air  current  that  part  of  the  "  tube  of  air  " 
which  passes  over  the  vocal  cords,  goes  behind 
the  uvula  and  passes  into  the  nasal  cavities,  there 
producing  sympathetic  overtones  which  blend  with 
and  enrich  the  sound  which  proceeds,  in  the  main, 
from  the  mouth. 

There  is  no  doubt  that,  generally  speaking,  the 
English  choral  singer  favours  a  backward  voice- 
production.  This  would  appear  to  arise  from  the 
tradition  that  a  choral  singer  must  make  as  much 
noise  as  possible  in  fortes,  and  this  develops  a  species 
of  bellowing  and  a  thick,  heavy  throat  tone ;  and 


4o  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

because  singers  can  vividly  feel  the  vibration  of 
the  sound  at  the  back  of  the  mouth,  they  are 
satisfied  that  they  are  doing  effective  work.  Here, 
unfortunately,  they  misapply  a  physical  sensation 
just  as  did  the  man  who  said  he  knew  his  razor  was 
sharp  because  he  could  see  the  edge  ! 

It  requires  great  persuasive  power  and  tact  on 
the  part  of  the  conductor  to  remove  this  idea,  and 
to  get  singers  to  alter  their  method ;  but  if,  in  order 
to  get  unity  of  tone,  attack,  &c,  the  exercises  and 
plans  mentioned  previously  on  pages  22  ff.,34  ff.,have 
been  followed,  they  will  have  been  taught  to  realise 
and  obtain  forward  tone,  and  the  ground  will  have 
been  prepared  for  the  addition  of  this  important 
superstructure ;  and  it  will  only  need  a  little  care, 
skill,  judgment,  and  time  to  get  them  to  follow  the 
conductor's  lead  with  respect  to  nasal  resonance. 

The  question  might  fairly  be  asked,  If  nasal 
resonance  be  of  such  importance,  why  not 
introduce  it  to  the  choir  at  once,  instead  of 
so  long  delaying  its  introduction  ?  The  answer 
is  very  simple.  You  cannot  introduce  with  success 
any  advanced  artistic  accomplishment  connected 
with  the  voice  until  the  mind  has  grasped  the 
importance  of  the  idea,  and  the  muscles  of  the 
throat  and  mouth  have  been  trained  to  respond  to 
the  demands  of  the  higher  achievement.  In  other 
words,  preparatory  technique  is  absolutely  necessary. 
Many  times  have  I  tried  to  make  a  short  cut  and 
get  to  the  desired  quality  at  once,  but  every  time 
I  have  failed  to  secure  success,  and  have 
always  had  to  proceed  afresh  from  the  beginning. 
Therefore  I  urge  every  conductor  not  to  hurry  in 
the  matter  of  the  voice,  but  to  keep  pegging  away 
at  the  earlier  stages,  making  the  most  of  the  voices 


NASAL   RESONANCE  41 

he  has,  and  to  be  satisfied  with  a  little  progress  at 
each  rehearsal,  until  the  time  comes  when  the 
majority  of  the  singers  have  assimilated  his  ideas 
and  instructions,  and  can  do  what  he  wants  spon- 
taneously. Only  after  this  should  the  more  difficult 
subject  be  introduced. 

After  this  digression  I  will  resume  the  hints  on 
how  to  deal  with  the  choir. 

To  get  the  choir  to  apprehend  nasal  resonance, 
first  pattern  Ex.  1  to  the  vowel  £  ("ee")  or  a  ("ai") 
softly  with  pure  non-nasal  quality,  and  get  the  choir 
to  imitate  it.  Then  sing  the  exercise  again  rather 
loudly,  very  nasally — indeed  with  nasal  twang. 
Tell  the  choir  to  imitate  it,  imparting  a  derisive, 
mocking  character  if  possible.  "  He  trusted  in 
God "  (Messiah)  and  the  "  Demons'  Chorus " 
(Gerontius)  are  fine  preparatory  exercises  if 
properly  sung.  This  excess  of  nasality  will  help 
them  to  realise  nasal  tone,  and  predispose  the 
muscles  of  the  mouth  for  the  next  step. 

Pattern  once  more  Ex.  1,  but  this  time  with 
proper  amount  of  resonance,  and  ask  the  choir 
to  imitate.  Of  course  success  will  be  limited. 
This  partial  failure  will  enable  you  to  introduce  the 
device  of  humming  on  the  letter  mt  which  later 
on  will  be  used  frequently  in  the  developing  of 
pp  and  ppp. 

The  choir  having  got  an  idea — though  perhaps 
a  hazy  one — of  nasal  resonance,  ask  them  to  sing 
to  words  the  pianissimo  phrase  in  the  work  under 
rehearsal.  Afterwards  ask  them  to  hum  the 
passage  very  softly,  with  the  sound  on  the  lips,  at 
the  same  time  calling  their  attention  to  the 
attenuated,  nebulous,  almost  despicable  sound, 
which  should  be  such  that  one  could  hardly  call  it 


42   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

singing.  If  this  is  done  correctly  they  will  have 
realised  one  of  the  most  spirit-reaching  effects  in 
all  music,  the  mysterious  ethereal  quality  which 
I  call  "  floating  tone,"  which  seems  to  belong  to 
the  seventh  heaven. 

While  this  entrancing  effect  is  in  their  mind  and 
moving  their  hearts,  ask  them  to  sing  the  phrase  to 
the  words,  but  producing  the  voice  in  the  same 
way  and  avoiding  any  increase  of  tone,  and  very 
likely  under  the  enthralling  surroundings  they  will 
produce  that  rare  delight,  a  real  pianissimo,  with 
true  maintenance  of  pitch,  because  the  effort  to 
produce  tone  in  the  proper  way  gives  that  mental 
uplift,  that  psychological  stimulus  which,  joined 
to  the  freedom  of  the  throat,  makes  singing  in  tune 
almost  an  absolute  necessity. 

-  Here,  in  a  few  words,  is  the  secret  of  the 
pianissimo  singing  of  my  choirs.  To  sing  a  true 
pia?iissimo  get  the  tone  quite  to  the  lips  of  the 
nearly  closed  mouth,  and  let  the  sound  be  a  half 
hum,  so  as  to  secure  nasal  resonance.  The  loose 
throat,  absence  of  muscular  strain,  and  forward 
breath  induced  by  this  production,  together  with 
the  accompanying  mental  alertness,  tend  to  maintain 
the  pitch ;  the  quality  of  the  tone  gives  it  clear 
definition  and  carrying  power;  and  the  union  of 
the  whispered  fundamental  sound  of  the  mouth 
with  the  nasal  harmonics  gives  quality  and  character 
to  the  tone,  the  whole  satisfying  the  mind  both  as 
to  quality  and  quantity  of  sound  and  intonation 
(pitch). 

The  classical  quotation,  "  The  price  of  Liberty  is 
eternal  vigilance,"  is  equally  applicable  to  pianissimo 
singing.  The  choir  will  always  need  pulling  up 
because  some  singers   have  not  exercised  enough 


NASAL   RESONANCE  43 

restraint.  But  notwithstanding  this  it  is  an 
incalculable  gain  to  the  conductor  and  the  choir  to 
have  a  definite  system,  which  enables  the  singers 
to  aim  at  the  goal  unerringly.  Conductors  under 
these  conditions  can  work  hopefully,  and  with  more 
heart  than  when  they  are  uncertain  how  to  achieve 
the  desired  ideal  of  real  pianissimo  and  true  pitch. 
Other  aspects  of  pianissimo  will  be  dealt  with  under 
the  head  "  Expression." 


NASAL     RESONANCE. 

The  conductor  having  inculcated  the  advantages 
of  nasal  resonance  by  its  easiest  mode  of  present- 
ment, namely,  soft  and  very  soft  singing  (humming), 
and  the  choir  being  by  this  time  convinced  of  the 
practical  value  to  the  voice  of  this  form  of 
modifying  the  production,  the  way  is  now  open 
for  a  decided  effort  towards  making  nasal 
resonance  a  vocal  habit  of  the  singers,  in  mezzo 
and  loud  singing  as  well  as  in  pianissimo. 

This  will  be  a  more  difficult  task  than  getting  the 
tinge  of  nasality  in  soft  singing,  because  in  loud 
singing  there  being  more  strain  on  the  muscles  of 
the  mouth,  it  is  harder  to  overcome  the  regular 
"  set "  of  these  muscles,  and  determination  on  the 
part  of  the  singer  is  required  to  deflect  the  precise 
amount  of  the  air  current  to  the  back  of  the  uvula, 
so  as  to  produce  the  tone  flavour  required.  Still, 
with  care  it  can  be  done. 

The  conductor  must  set  himself  to  nurse  this 
quality  of  tone  on  every  possible  occasion.  He 
should  carefully  note  any  phrases  in  which  occur 
forward  vowels,  such  as  "  Blessed  are  the  men  who 
fear  Him,  they  ever  walk  in  the  ways  of  peace  " 


44  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

(Elijah),  "  Sing  ye"  (Bach),  &c.  He  should  in 
these  phrases  pattern  the  tone-quality,  and  as  the 
vowels  favour  the  sounds  required,  the  choir  will 
respond  with  fair  success,  until  in  time  the  tone 
becomes  habitual. 

The  basses  generally  give  the  earliest  and  best 
signs  of  progress;    therefore  in  solo  phrases  like — 


% 


*c 


?- 


&=Z=3r- 


=f=t 


etc. 


But      like     an  earthquake  was  the        din     when 

where  the  climax  note  on  the  word  "  din "  is 
particularly  favourable  to  the  right  production,  ask 
the  men  to  repeat  the  passage  as  an  object-lesson 
to  the  other  parts. 

Whenever  a  combined  phrase  is  sung  with  fine, 
ringing  tone  of  the  right  quality,  as  may  happen  to 
words  like  "  Sing  praises  to  the  King  of  Heaven," 
or  "  Hail  to  the  Chief,"  stop  the  choir  to  call 
attention  to  the  beauty  and  quality  of  tone.  The 
choir  will  welcome  the  stoppage,  as  they  like 
nothing  better  than  an  interruption  in  order  to  be 
complimented.  On  high  notes  in  the  soprano  part, 
frequent  stoppages  will  be  necessary  to  get  the 
singers  to  place  the  tone  forward,  especially  on 
words  like  "high  glory,"  "for  honour,"  &c,  but 
even  they  will  fall  into  line  fairly  quickly. 

Of  course  one  must  always  be  careful  to  avoid 
excess  of  nasality,  or  more  harm  than  good  will 
result ;  but  I  must  say  that,  except  in  two  cases  in 
the  United  States,  where  the  people  have  an  excess 
of  nasality  in  speaking,  I  have  never  yet  heard  a 
choir  go  beyond  the  limits  of  good  tone  in  the  way 
of  nasal  resonance,  whereas  one  often  hears  excess 
of  throatiness  in  England. 


PRESERVATION   OF  VOICE  45 

Choral  singers,  by  the  law  of  sympathy  and  the 
influence  of  example,  seem  to  improve  up  to  a 
certain  point  with  wonderful  quickness.  Here  I 
would  caution  conductors  not  to  be  misled  into 
ceasing  their  efforts  because  of  this  apparently 
exceptional  progress.  It  is  when  the  finer  stage  of 
artistic  voice-production  is  reached  that  choirs 
dishearten  conductors.  Then  they  seem  to  make 
no  progress,  the  same  faults  recurring  again  and 
again.  But  the  conductor  must  persevere.  Progress 
even  under  well-directed  effort  is  slow,  but  this  is 
always  the  way  in  the  higher  stages  of  every  branch 
of  artistic  culture.  To  paraphrase  the  proverb, 
"  Art  is  indeed  a  long  time  in  coming,  while  time  is 
decidedly  fleeting." 


PRESERVATION    OF    VOICE. 

Before  closing  this  chapter  a  word  should  be  said 
as  to  preservation  of  the  voice.  Great  musicians 
like  Sir  Hubert  Parry,  Sir  Edward  Elgar,  Granville 
Bantock,  and  others,  who  have  seen  the  apparently 
remorseless  way  I  make  my  choirs  sing,  have 
frequently  expressed  the  fear  that  I  was  putting 
too  severe  a  strain  upon  the  voices;  but  I  have 
always  been  able  to  convince  them  by  results  that 
their  fears  were  groundless. 

This  is  because  when  a  voice  is  properly  produced 
it  can  stand  a  strain  and  be  fresh  after  it,  whereas 
an  improperly  produced  and  imperfectly  trained 
voice  would  collapse.  Therefore  I  endeavour  to 
get  perfect  tone  and  ease  of  production,  and  proper 
placing  of  the  voice,  from  the  first  rehearsal. 

The  first  thing  I  insist  upon  is  a  loose  throat. 
This  I  explain  is  produced  by  getting  the  tone  as 


46  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

near  the  lips  as  possible,  and  never  associating  the 
production  of  tone  with  the  throat.  To  secure  this, 
the  general  instruction  is  to  sing  rather  softly  until 
the  music  and  words  are  fairly  well  mastered. 
When  this  is  done,  we  sing  with  expression  ranging 
from  pp  to  loud  or  louder  or  loudest  according  to 
what  is  required.  But  in  this  later  stage  the 
choristers  are  always  told  to  rest  the  voice  while 
they  sing — that  is,  they  are  to  regard  each  soft 
passage  as  an  operation  of  massage  on  the  vocal 
organs.  They  are  urged  to  change  the  position  of 
the  mouth  with  each  degree  of  force,  and  thus 
strengthen  each  part  of  the  throat,  instead  of 
wearing  out  the  voice  with  persistent  use  of  one 
part  only,  i.e.,  keeping  the  sound  in  one  position 
all  the  time. 

I  illustrate  this  by  the  story  of  Dead  Horse 
Road.  This  road,  somewhere  in  Norfolk,  is  so 
called  because  it  is  the  cause  of  the  death  of  so 
many  horses.  This  is  due  to  its  length  and 
flatness,  on  which  account  only  one  set  of 
muscles  of  the  horses  which  traverse  it  are  called 
into  play,  with  the  result  that  the  beasts  are  soon 
worn  out.  Further,  when  brushing  up  well-known 
works,  like  The  Messiah  and  Elijah,  for  the  usual 
annual  performances,  at  the  first  two  rehearsals 
I  disregard  the  expression  marks,  and  ask  the  choir 
to  sing  a  soft  mezzo  most  of  the  evening  with  the 
avowed  purpose  of  massaging  the  vocal  muscles, 
toning  the  voices  by  getting  rid  of  "  clatter  " — that 
is,  the  harsh  harmonics  which  produce  strident 
voices — getting  a  loose  throat,  developing  nasal 
resonance,  and  securing  general  ease  of  production. 

Some  conductors  may  think  that  this  continued 
soft  and  medium  singing  will  have  a  weakening 


PRESERVATION   OF  VOICE  47 

effect  on  the  voice,  but  it  has  not.  Take  the  case 
of  the  Huddersfield  Chorus.  I  mention  this  choir 
by  name  because,  rightly  or  wrongly,  it  has  the 
reputation  of  having  the  strongest  voices — singer 
for  singer — of  any  choir  in  the  North  of  England, 
which,  as  everybody  knows,  is  the  home  of  strong 
voices. 

This  choir  knows  The  Messiah  so  well  that  I 
would  risk  a  performance  with  one  copy  to  every 
twenty  singers,  or,  if  the  necessity  arose,  with  one 
copy  to  a  part.  Notwithstanding  this,  we  always 
begin  the  rehearsals  as  though  we  did  not  know  a 
note,  because  it  is  by  this  assumption  alone  that 
perfection  of  detail  can  be  maintained.  When  we 
begin,  I  instruct  the  singers  to  be  prepared  for 
taking  the  choruses  either  as  a  voice  exercise,  or  as 
a  finished  display.  As  they  know  the  music  so 
well  they  are  asked  to  concentrate  their  attention 
on  voice  alone,  purity  of  tone  being  the  Alpha 
and  Omega  of  the  rehearsal.  But  to  develop 
mastery  of  certain  phrases,  and  general  alertness, 
whenever  I  say  "  Sing "  they  must  change  from 
mezzo  voice  to  forte  or  fortissimo  according  to  the 
markings  of  the  copy,  but  at  the  word  "  Voice," 
they  must  at  once  resume  the  soft  voice-cultivation 
manner. 

This  yearly  toning  of  the  voices,  together  with  its 
influence  away  from  the  rehearsals,  is  of  inestimable 
value,  while  the  well-known  vibrant  resonant  quality 
of  the  Huddersfield  Choir  is  strengthened. 

If  further  testimony  of  the  efficacy  of  the  above 
methods  were  needed,  I  would  point  to  the  wonderful 
test  of  endurance  of  the  World  Tour  Choir,  where 
the  singers — except  in  rare  isolated  cases — never 
lost  their   voices,   and  where   a  great  proportion 


48  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

attended  every  rehearsal  and  every  one  of  the  one 
hundred  and  thirty-four  concerts  without  a  trace  of 
voice  weariness  or  hardness ;  in  fact,  the  only  thing 
that  seemed  to  affect  the  voices  was  the  severely 
cold  weather  of  which  we  had  experience  in  East 
Canada  and  the  United  States. 

Other  aspects  of  treating  the  voice  will  be  dealt 
with  in  the  chapter  on  "  Musical  Expression." 


49 


BREATHING. 

The  importance  of  a  correct  method  of  breathing 
is  such  a  commonplace  that  one  is  loath  to  lay 
stress  upon  it.  But  the  lack  of  clear,  definite 
knowledge  of  the  various  methods,  and  the  inability 
of  many  to  note  the  points  of  unity  and  harmony 
between  the  conflicting  and  apparently  irrecon- 
cilable systems,  make  it  necessary  to  repeat  the 
trite  saying  that  to  attain  the  highest  results  in 
singing  it  is  imperative  that  the  art  of  breathing  be 
thoroughly  understood,  and  the  respiratory  organs 
strengthened  and  put  under  perfect  control. 

In  the  preceding  chapter  on  "  Voice,"  when 
dealing  with  the  question  of  "  How  to  obtain  a 
fortissimo  vocal  climax,"  I  foreshadowed  the  correct 
method  of  breathing ;  but  as  only  the  fringe  of 
the  subject  was  touched  upon,  a  more  complete 
statement  and  a  review  of  the  question  in  all  its 
bearings  will  now  be  given. 

The  dual  object  of  respiration  in  relation  to 
singing  is  to  inhale  sufficient  breath  to  fill  the  lungs 
entirely,  and  to  get  such  command  of  the  respiratory 
muscles  as  to  exhale  the  acquired  breath  to  the  best 
advantage.  The  question  of  breathing  therefore 
narrows  itself  down  to 

i.  What  is  the  best  way  of  taking  breath  ? 
2.  What  is  the  best  way  of  giving  it  out  ? 


5o  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


HOW    TO    BREATHE. 

Many  books  have  been  written  on  this  subject 
of  "  How  to  Breathe," — some  very  useful  and 
informing,  others  harmful  on  account  of  the  fanciful 
theories  propounded,  while  others  have  been  very 
good,  but  so  obscure  in  statement  as  to  darken 
counsel  instead  of  giving  illumination. 

Having  during  the  last  thirty  years  studied  every 
book  of  importance  on  the  subject,  with  the  object 
of  learning  the  views  of  the  best  authorities,  in  order 
to  apply  the  knowledge  for  the  benefit  of  my 
societies,  I  have  been  able  to  put  every  theory  to 
the  test,  and  from  the  process  I  have  evolved  a 
fairly  clear  grasp  of  the  practical  application  of  the 
various  theories,  their  points  of  agreement  and 
difference,  and  their  degrees  of  value. 

I  propose  therefore  to  epitomise  my  interpre- 
tation of  the  different  theories  of  "How  to  Breathe" 
in  a  popular  and,  I  hope,  so  clear  a  manner  that 
at  any  rate  everybody  who  reads  this  resume  of 
the  subject  will  know  what  I  think  and  teach. 

Now  as  this  is  not  a  physiological  treatise,  but  a 
guide  to  the  practical  application  of  approved 
methods,  I  shall  only  deal  with  breathing  as  a 
medium  for  obtaining  the  best  vocal  results  in  the 
development  of  artistic  phrasing,  and  incidentally 
as  a  source  of  health  to  the  body,  a  brightener 
of  the  spirit,  a  foe  to  indigestion,  a  beautifier 
of  the  complexion,  and  a  promoter  of  good 
carriage. 

To  those  who  desire  fuller  knowledge  on  the 
physiological  side,  as  well  as  a  series  of  well- 
considered  breathing  exercises,  I  strongly  recommend 


HOW   TO   BREATHE  51 

Dr.  Hulbert's  "  Breathing  for  Voice-Production  " 
(Novello,  3s.)  as  the  safest,  most  logical,  and  on 
the  anatomical  basis  the  simplest  book  published 
on  the  subject. 

I  use  the  word  "  simplest "  in  referring  to 
Dr.  Hulbert's  book.  Some  conductors  may  wonder 
at  the  use  of  the  word  in  connection  with  a  subject 
that  has  the  reputation  of  being  anything  but 
simple.  The  popular  notion  is  that  the  subject  of 
breathing  is  involved,  hard  to  understand,  very 
controversial,  conflicting,  and  irritating. 

"Notwithstanding  this  current  notion,  I  repeat 
that  the  essential  features  and  principles  of  correct 
breathing  are  simple. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  it  is  surprising,  especially  to 
those  who  have  waded  through  innumerable  books, 
in  what  a  small  compass  the  kernel  of  the  subject 
lies.  This  kernel  is  merely  the  filling  of  the  lungs 
in  a  natural  way,  and  the  emptying  of  them  in  an 
equally  spontaneous  manner.  The  method  of  doing 
both  these  things,  and  the  scientific  reasons  for  the 
processes,  can  be  given  in  a  couple  of  pages,  so 
that  it  may  well  claim  to  be  simple.  The  elaborate 
anatomical  experiments,  and  the  long  series  of 
deductions  made  from  these  involved  researches, 
cannot  be  so  briefly  stated;  but  the  results  can, 
and  these  only  are  what  concern  vocalists. 

The  question  may  be  asked,  "If  this  be  so,  why 
have  so  many  books  with  conflicting  views  and 
statements  been  published  ? "  This  I  will  try 
to  explain. 

There  are  two  chief  methods  of  breathing  : — 
(1)  The  Clavicular,  or  collar-bone,  so  called 
because  in  this  method  the  collar-bone 
is  raised  at  each  inspiration  :  and, 


52   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

(2)  The  Diaphragmatic,  so  called  on  account 
of  the  important  part  played  by  the 
diaphragm,  or  midriff,  in  controlling  the 
style  of  breathing. 

Diaphragmatic    breathing    may    be    used    in 
two  different  ways: — 

(a)  The  abdominal  (stomach) ; 

(b)  The  costal  (rib),  now  generally  spoken  of 

as  the  Lateral  Costal  (side-rib). 

It  should  be  here  stated  that  in  some  treatises 
the  methods  of  breathing  are  set  forth  as 
follows: — 

(1)  Clavicular. 

(2)  Abdominal. 

(3)  Costal. 

(4)  Side  costal  (for  medical  purposes  only). 

It  is  from  the  opposing  champions  of  the 
abdominal  and  costal  theories  that  all  the  conflict 
and  ensuing  confusion  have  arisen. 

In  making  a  comparison  and  giving  an  estimate 
of  the  two  methods,  it  may  be  said  that  both 
schools  of  thought  rightly  insist  that  the  lungs 
should  be  completely  filled  at  each  inspiration,  by 
inflating  the  lungs  at  their  base — the  broadest 
part — and  not  merely  using  the  upper  part  as 
in  clavicular  breathing.  It  is  when  we  ask 
"How  is  this  filling  to  be  done?"  that  the  methods 
differ  fundamentally. 

To  make  these  differences  clear,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  consider  briefly  the  diaphragm,  which 
has  been  compared  to  an  inverted  muscular  basin. 
This  dome-shaped  muscular  partition  between  the 
chest   or   thorax   and   the  abdomen  is  capable  of 


HOW  TO   BREATHE  53 

being  altered  somewhat  in  shape.  The  arched 
portion  can  be  flattened,  with  the  result  that  the 
floor  of  the  thorax — that  is,  the  base  of  the  chest — 
is  lowered,  and  the  pressure  of  the  diaphragm  on 
the  abdomen  causes  the  latter  to  protrude.  The 
diaphragm  may  also  have  its  shape  altered  by- 
being  distended  through  pressure  from  below, 
resisting  the  pressure  from  above.  These 
combined  forces  result  in  the  dome  becoming 
shallower,  and,  the  enlargement  of  the  circum- 
ference demanding  more  room,  the  muscles  at 
the  pit  of  the  stomach  are  pushed  forward  and 
the  ribs  are  thrust  outwards  and  upwards.  By 
these  means  the  lungs  are  enabled  to  expand  to 
their  utmost  capacity. 

The  Abdominalists — led  by  Mandl — claim  that 
as  more  breath  space  is  secured  by  this  protrusion 
of  the  abdomen,  therefore  theirs  is  the  best  method, 
and  the  one  to  be  followed. 

The  Costalites  say  that  by  the  expansion  all 
round  the  base  of  the  lungs  and  uplifting  of  the 
side-ribs,  they  get  an  equal  amount  of  breath  space, 
while  it  is  more  natural,  more  healthy,  and  much 
better  for  breath  control. 

Sixty  years  ago  the  idea  of  treating  the  subject 
of  breathing,  as  applied  to  singing,  on  a  scientific 
basis  was  hardly  considered.  People  said  there 
was  no  need  for  it.  Vocalists  were  able  to  sing 
brilliantly  without  knowing  anything  of  the  laws  of 
inspiration  and  expiration,  except  in  a  vague  way. 
They  were  taught,  and  followed,  the  traditional 
empirical  methods  of  their  singing-masters,  and 
managed  to  do  so  well  that  they  did  not  bother 
their  heads  about  the  theory  of  breathing  so  long  as 
they  could  do  it  naturally.     Their  way  of  breathing, 


54  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

and  the  success  that  they  achieved,  are  such  inspiring 
traditions  that  it  is  now  the  aim  of  every  teacher 
to  get  back  to  the  old  Italian  methods.  In  1855 
Mandl  caused  the  first  flutter  in  the  singing 
dovecotes  by  advancing  the  theory  that  as 
abdominal  breathing  gave  the  greatest  amount 
of  breath  capacity,  therefore  not  only  was  this 
method  the  correct  one,  but  all  other  methods 
were  wrong. 

This  theory  was  enthusiastically  taken  up  in 
England  by  two  well-known  gentlemen,  who 
collaborated,  one  for  the  breathing  and  the  other 
for  the  voice.  Being  backed  up  by  physiological 
reasons  and  seemingly  irrefutable  anatomical 
demonstrations,  their  advocacy  of  the  new  method 
was  most  successful.  Being  first  in  the  field  with 
their  data,  the  abdominal  system  of  breathing 
had  a  tremendous  vogue, — for  what  chance  had 
an  empirical  system  against  one  which  was 
based  on  scientific  principles  ? 

But  most  people  felt  that  something  was  lacking 
in  the  system.  It  was  quite  correct  that  it  gave 
great  breath  capacity ;  but  did  it  ensure  breath 
control,  especially  for  great  crises,  and  for  getting 
power  and  ring  of  voice  ?  Still,  notwithstanding 
these  doubts  as  to  its  efficiency,  the  system  kept 
the  field  for  a  long  time,  chiefly  on  account  of  its 
supposed  scientific  sanction.  Then  there  came  a 
reaction,  and  clever  men  thought  that  what  was 
really  true  in  practice  must  have  a  scientific  basis; 
for  it  was  hardly  believable  that  the  old  natural 
way  of  breathing,  as  used  by  every  great  singer 
consciously  or  unconsciously,  could  be  based  on 
error.  Therefore  the  anatomical  and  physiological 
aspects  of  the  problem  have  been  re-studied,  with 


HOW  TO   BREATHE  55 

the  result  that  the  older  traditional  empirical  usage 
has  been  found  to  rest  on  scientific  sanction. 

The  results  of  this  research  have  now  been  set 
forth  in  the  system  known  as  the  "  Lateral  Costal 
Method,"  which  can  bring  physiological  fact  to 
show  that  not  only  is  it  the  best  for  inspiration,  but 
also  that  it  gives  perfect  control  in  expiration,  which 
is  the  singer's  chief  asset,  because  it  is  the  power  to 
use  a  tool  or  implement  which  makes  it  effective. 

Briefly,  the  new  discoveries  and  the  deductions 
which  have  restored  the  side-rib  breathing  to  its 
now  unchallenged  place  of  supremacy  are  as 
follows : — In  deep  inspiration,  by  drawing  in  the 
abdomen,  the  liver  and  stomach,  being  firmly  held 
in  the  basin-like  dome  or  arch  of  the  underside  of 
the  diaphragm,  prevent  any  downward  movement  of 
this  strong  muscular  partition  below  the  level  of  the 
flying  ribs.  It  is  therefore  forced  to  extend  with  an 
outward  expansion.  This  expansion,  coupled  with 
the  existence  of  the  intercostal  muscles,  causes  the 
ribs  to  widen  in  an  outward  and  upward  direction, 
thus  giving  the  widest  possible  breath  space,  as  well 
as  aerifying  the  upper  part  of  the  lungs. 

Further,  this  pressure  of  the  abdomen  against 
the  thorax  enables  the  singer  to  regulate  the  air 
current  to  the  requirements  of  the  sound  he  wishes 
to  produce. 

I  showed  on  page  30  how  to  get  supreme 
pressure  and  condensation  of  the  air  in  a  fortissimo 
climax.  A  corresponding  control  of  breath  is 
necessary  to  secure  pianissimos,  staccatos,  and  swells, 
and  this  method  enables  singers  to  acquire  these 
accomplishments,  as  I  shall  show  later. 

As  a  result,  this  confirmation  of  the  best 
traditional  usage  by  modern  physiological  research 


56  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

proves   to  me,  at  least,  that  the  correct  way  of 
breathing  is  by  the  Lateral  Costal  method. 

Therefore,  reverting  to  my  previous  statement 
that  the  kernel  of  correct  breathing  lies  in  a  small 
compass,  we  find  that  as  the  outcome  of  all  the 
patient,  baffling,  anatomical  researches  of  both 
Abdominalists  and  Costalites  we  get  practically 
the  clear,  simple  directions  of  many  an  old  singing- 
master,  "  Stick  your  chest  out,  keep  your  stomach 
in,  hold  your  breath  at  the  waist  and  sing." 

To  complete  our  consideration  of  the  different 
methods  of  breathing,  a  passing  notice  of  the 
clavicular  method  must  be  given.  This  method  is 
so  universally  condemned  by  all  authorities,  that 
were  it  not  that  Jenny  Lind  is  reputed  to  have  used 
the  system  it  would  have  been  ruled  out  of  court 
at  once.  Personally  I  am  not  quite  sure  that 
Jenny  Lind  used  the  clavicular  method  so 
exclusively  as  we  are  led  to  believe,  for  the 
following  reasons. 

During  the  last  thirty  years  I  have  conducted 
very  many  concerts,  oratorios,  cantatas,  &c,  at 
which  scores  of  the  finest  artists  of  the  day  have 
sung.  Many  of  these  singers  have  been  trained  by 
the  finest  and  greatest  teachers  known,  and  on  the 
most  approved  and  up-to-date  methods,  and  in  the 
matter  of  breathing  their  style  and  method  have 
been  above  suspicion.  Yet  I  have  many  times 
seen  these  artists  at  important  crises  in  their 
interpretation  of  a  song,  solo,  or  scena,  lift 
their  clavicles  as  though  they  were  breathing  by 
the  forbidden  clavicular  method.  This,  however, 
they  were  not  doing.  As  a  matter  of  fact  they 
were  simply  making  an  extra  physical  effort  under 
the  stress  of  temperamental  excitement,  and  using 


HOW  TO   BREATHE  57 

every  available  means  to  increase  their  stock  of 
breath  for  the  great  effort  they  were  about  to  make. 
Consequently  they  instinctively  called  into  play  the 
whole  of  the  respiratory  muscles,  and  the  additional 
pressure  of  the  abdomen  on  the  diaphragm  and  the 
greater  condensation  of  the  air  in  the  lungs  made  it 
quite  natural  to  supplement  all  the  other  muscular 
disturbance  by  lifting  the  clavicles.  This  action,  then, 
under  conditions  of  temperamental  and  dramatic 
excitement,  instead  of  proclaiming  clavicular 
breathing,  while  it  masks  and  obscures  the  ordinary 
action  proclaims  the  highest  development  of 
breathing  —  Lateral.  Costal  in  excelsis.  Hence, 
when  I  see  members  of  my  choir  raise  their 
shoulders  when  preparing  for  a  grand  outburst  of 
sound,  I  do  not  condemn  them  for  breathing 
wrongly,  but  rather  commend  them  for  the  implied 
instinctive  effort  to  gain  an  extra  amount  of  breath 
and  increased  air-pressure. 

These  facts  have  often  made  me  wonder  whether 
after  all  Jenny  Lind  did  use  the  clavicular  method 
exclusively,  or  whether  she  merely  used  it  as  an 
auxiliary  to  the  costal  method,  but  in  such  a  way 
as  to  hide  or  mask  the  action  of  the  side- ribs. 
Failing  proof  to  the  contrary,  I  believe  that  her 
method  was  a  combination  of  the  two  systems,  as 
this  explanation  falls  more  easily  into  what  is  now 
known  of  the  physiology  of  the  art  of  breathing  as 
applied  to  singing,  which  in  her  day  was  not 
seriously  studied. 

In  relation  to  this  mixing  and  masking  of 
methods,  it  is  worth  remark  that  when  abdominal 
breathing  was  the  vogue,  I  have  time  and  time 
again  seen  singers,  who  had  been  trained  by  this 
system,    breathe   by    the    costal    method,    and    in 


58   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

justification  explain  that  because  they  breathed 
by  means  of  the  diaphragm  therefore  it  was 
abdominal,  only  it  was  in  another  form.  As  the 
precise  and  definite  theory  of  the  Lateral  Costal 
method  was  not  then  known  or  formulated,  this 
reasonable  explanation  was  allowed  to  pass ;  but 
the  wrong  method  got  the  credit  of  the  right  usage. 


HOW  TO  INHALE  BREATH. 

Having  shown  conclusively  the  best  method  of 
respiration,  I  will  now  deal  with  several  secondary, 
but  still  important,  matters  connected  with  the 
subject. 

With  respect  to  the  question  of  inhalation, 
should  it  be  through  the  mouth  or  through  the 
nostrils?  For  many  reasons  of  health,  and  for 
special  reasons  of  voice,  breath  should  be  inspired 
through  the  nose,  as  the  air  thereby  taken  in  is 
warmed  and  filtered  before  it  reaches  the  larynx 
and  lungs,  both  of  which  temperings  are  necessary 
to  the  preservation  of  the  voice  and  health.  When 
the  body  is  in  repose  there  is  no  difficulty  about 
breathing  in  this  manner,  but  even  when  walking, 
exercising,  running,  and  speaking,  this  breathing 
through  the  nose  must  as  a  general  rule  be 
followed. 

Nevertheless  this  law  must  not  be  regarded  as  of 
the  Medes  and  Persians,  which  altereth  not,  for 
in  singing  it  cannot  be  carried  out  always  with 
advantage. 

In  singing  there  is  not  time  to  breathe  through 
the  nostrils,  especially  without  such  effort  injuring 
the  smoothness  of  the  musical  effect — particularly 
in  bravura  singing — and  impairing   the  beauty  of 


BREATH    CONTROL  59 

the  phrasing.  The  artist  must  not  be  worried  or 
disturbed  by  mere  physical  actions  or  methods. 
Whatever  is  done  should  be  carried  through 
automatically,  and  absolutely  without  conscious 
effort. 

The  rendering  of  a  piece  being  the  chief  concern, 
the  merely  mechanical  means  must  be  subservient 
to  the  ruling  principle.  Therefore  the  rule  for 
taking  breath  may  be  stated  as  follows : — Whenever 
possible  inhale  through  the  nose,  but  in  singing 
take  breath  subconsciously ;  or,  in  other  words,  do 
not  take  breath,  let  breath  take  you. 

If  the  singer  is  unconscious,  say,  in  a  quick 
passage,  of  how  his  breath  supply  is  replenished — 
whether  through  the  mouth,  or  nose,  or  both — he 
will  not  be  far  wrong.  The  problem  at  issue  with  all 
singers  is  how  to  acquire  automatic  nasal  inspiration. 
This  subconscious  habit  can  be  acquired,  as  I  shall 
show  later. 


BREATH  CONTROL. 

It  is  evident  to  everyone  who  knows  anything 
about  singing  that  however  correctly  one  may 
breathe,  it  is  necessary  for  professional  singing 
purposes  to  have  a  super-ordinary  chest  develop- 
ment and  highly-specialised  breath  control.  This 
development  and  accomplishment  can  only  be 
brought  about  by  special  exercises,  (1)  to  enlarge 
the  lung  capacity  and  (2)  to  give  quick  and 
responsive  action  to  the  breathing  apparatus. 

Such  a  set  of  exercises  are  to  be  found  in  Dr. 
Hulbert's  "  Breathing  for  Vocal  Purposes,"  which 
should  be  followed  by  all  who  wish  to  excel  as 
vocalists.     Personally  I  feel  very  strongly  on  this 


60   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

question  of  the  cultivation  of  lung  power  and 
responsiveness.  I  regard  command  of  breath  as 
the  touchstone  of  a  young  singer's  success.  Singers 
who  cannot  breathe  well  may  take  it  that  their  fate 
is  practically  sealed.  Many  debutants  have  good 
voices  and  good  style,  but  if  they  have  not  good 
breathing  powers  they  always  have  a  short  singing 
life.  They  somehow  recede  from  the  public  eye, 
and  they  wonder  why  this  should  be  so  with 
"  people  of  their  ability."  The  solution  is  to  be 
found  in  the  fact  that  in  not  developing  breathing 
power  by  strenuous  and  sustained  effort  they 
cease  to  grow  vocally.  The  same  power  of  voice 
which  is  considered  quite  satisfactory  in  a  new 
singer  is  quite  inadequate  and  disappointing  in  a 
singer  who  has  been  before  the  public  for  some 
time.  I  have  heard  singers  express  surprise  that 
they  have  been  coldly  received,  instead  of  being 
rapturously  applauded  as  formerly.  The  secret 
can  often  be  traced  to  lack  of  development  in 
power  through  defective  breathing.  The  public 
have  an  unconscious  way  of  weighing  people  in 
the  balance;  and  those  who  are  "work  shies" 
— for  breath  development  means  real  hard  work 
— those  who  have  followed  the  line  of  least 
resistance,  i.e.,  taking  it  easy,  are  found  wanting, 
and  are  passed  over  for  others  who  show  progress 
in  their  art. 

Whenever  in  performances  that  I  conduct  I  find 
young  principals  failing  to  take  the  runs  in  the 
Messiah,  Judas,  Creation,  or  similar  works,  in  one 
breath,  I  usually  wipe  them  off  the  slate,  as  their 
lack  of  determination  to  excel  in  this  direction  is  a 
sign  to  me  of  arrested  development,  connoting 
premature  vocal  decay. 


BREATH   CONTROL  61 

When  spoken  to  on  this  point  these  young 
singers  invariably  quote  the  example  of  some  old, 
well-tried  vocalist.  They  forget  that  these  old 
singers  are  favourites  for  general  all-round 
excellence,  and  though,  through  advancing  years, 
or  neglect,  or  indolence,  they  take  breath  in  the 
middle  of  a  run  or  interpolate  words  so  as  to  hide 
their  weakness,  and  use  other  devices  to  cover  their 
deficiencies,  these  subterfuges  cause  a  pang  of 
regret  to  even  their  warmest  admirers,  who  inwardly 
lament  "How  are  the  mighty  fallen." 

From  the  above  remarks  upon  the  importance  of 
breathing,  it  will  probably  be  thought  that  I  favour 
a  very  rigid  application  of  a  systematic  course  of 
breathing  exercises  for  choirs  and  choral  societies. 
Though  I  may  favour  such  a  course  theoretically, 
I  am  afraid  I  cannot  recommend  it  with  advantage 
to  either  conductor  or  choir.     I  wish  that  I  could. 

It  would  be  easy  to  follow  the  example  of  some 
writers  on  this  subject,  and  compile  a  list  of  things 
that  should  be  done — e.g.,  ten  minutes'  breathing 
exercises  before  each  rehearsal ;  certain  muscular 
evolutions,  &c,  to  be  performed ;  but  I  shall  refrain. 
It  is  a  mistake  to  insist  upon  an  impracticable 
thing  simply  because  it  is  desirable  theoretically. 
I  shall  restrict  my  advice  to  a  minimum  of  what  is 
strictly  practicable  for  choral  singers.  My  reasons 
for  this  are : — 

(i)  Though  elaborate  breathing  exercises  are 
imperative  for  soloists,  for  choral  singers  a  few 
definite,  well-directed  exercises  suffice. 

(2)  Whenever  I  have  tried  to  impose  a  systematic 
course  of  breathing  exercises  upon  a  choir,  the 
members  all  with  one  consent  began  to  make  excuse, 
and  arrived  after  the  exercises  were  over. 


62   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

(3)  I  have  never  known  a  case  where  the 
persistent  use  of  breathing  exercises  in  rehearsal 
time  has  not  had  the  effect  (a)  of  killing  the  interest 
in  the  rehearsal,  (b)  of  doing  more  harm  than  good, 
and  (c)  of  causing,  if  persisted  in,  the  dissolution  of 
the  society.  Therefore,  instead  of  drawing  up  an 
ideal  scheme  of  what  is  theoretically  desirable,  I 
shall  confine  my  remarks  to  what  experience  has 
shown  me  is  practicable. 

Now  while  my  experience  has  proved  to  me  the 
futility  of  the  bad  tactics  of  a  frontal  attack  in  the 
matter  of  imposing  or  attempting  breathing 
exercises  during  rehearsal  time,  I  never  neglect  the 
subject,  but  gain  my  object  by  a  flank  movement. 
On  all  possible  occasions — say,  when  long  runs  have 
to  be  negotiated,  long  notes  sustained,  staccato 
passages  attacked,  a  climax  realised,  or  a  pianissimo 
phrase  controlled — I  always  refer  to  breathing  as  the 
key  of  the  situation,  and  by  taking  a  short  exercise 
that  seems  to  grow  out  of  the  necessities  of  the 
music  I  get  the  choir  to  do  it  willingly.  The 
conductor  must  seize  such  opportunities,  and  keep 
his  singers  engaged  on  breathing  exercises  until 
interest  begins  to  flag.  This,  however,  does  not 
often  happen,  because  the  object  will  have  been 
achieved  before  that  time  arrives. 

In  my  own  societies  I  point  out  to  the  choir 
that  though  breathing  exercises  have  to  be  somewhat 
crowded  out  at  rehearsals  owing  to  lack  of  room 
and  time,  yet  there  are  daily  opportunities  of 
practising  breathing  in  a  most  pleasant  and 
agreeable  manner,  without  any  limitation  to 
their  duration  or  consideration  as  to  space  for 
exercise — the  two  drawbacks  in  the  rehearsal 
room — and  that  without  loss  of  time  to  anyone. 


BREATH    CONTROL  63 

I  emphasise  the  importance  of  these  exercises 
by  stating  that  they  are  what  I  have  done  daily 
for  years,  so  they  see  it  is  a  case  not  only  of 
"  Do  as  I  say,"  but  of  "Do  as  I  do." 

An  additional  recommendation  to  the  singers  is 
their  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  I  can  sing  the 
longest  and  most  difficult  "  runs  "  or  "  divisions  "  in 
one  breath,  which  is  due  to  the  use  of  a  certain 
time-saving  exercise.  I  also  mention  that,  useful 
as  the  principal  exercise  is  for  singing  purposes,  I 
practise  it  chiefly  for  hygienic  reasons,  which  will 
be  mentioned  later. 

This  wonderfully  useful  exercise  is  very  simple. 
It  consists  in  taking  deep  breaths  as  I  walk  along 
the  streets — say  for  a  distance  of  two  hundred  yards. 
Each  respiration  is  taken  rhythmically — that  is, 
during  each  six  strides,  allowing  three  steps  for 
each  inspiration  and  three  for  each  expiration. 
The  time  allowed  can  be  varied  according  to  the 
wishes  of  each  singer,  some  only  allowing  four 
steps  for  each  respiration,  while  others  will  allow 
eight  steps — four  for  inhaling  and  four  for 
exhaling. 

The  following  is  a  sketch  of  how  I  deal  with  this 
subject  in  rehearsal.  (It  is  all  done,  by  the  way,  in 
about  five  minutes.)  Having  spoken  of  the  evident 
necessity  of  developing  the  breathing  powers  of  the 
choir  as  a  whole,  if  we  are  to  do  full  justice  to  the 
work  in  hand,  I  tell  them  that  there  is  an  exercise 
which  will  produce  wonderful  results,  that  it  can  be 
done  in  an  easy  and  pleasurable  manner,  and  that 
it  will  not  take  more  than  five  minutes  daily. 

I  then  repeat  an  exercise  which  many  will  have 
seen  before — that  is,  I  place  my  hands  on  my  lower 
ribs  and  breathe  deeply,  making  the  enlargement  of 


64    TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

the  chest  at  the  base,  by  means  of  the  expansion  of 
the  side-ribs,  very  evident  (see  Fig.  2). 

I  ask  them  to  imitate  the  pattern.  This  having 
been  done  a  few  times,  I  explain  how  they  may 
perform  the  lung-strengthening,  chest-expanding 
exercise  which  I  practise  every  day,  and  which — 
for  its  inherent  benefit — I  strongly  recommend  to 
them.  I  then  place  my  hands  on  my  ribs  as 
before,  and,  while  I  breathe,  I  either  walk  along  the 
platform  or  step  as  though  I  was  walking,  breathing 
audibly  in  order  to  show  how  to  inhale  and  exhale 
rhythmically.  To  every  intake  and  outlet  of  breath 
four,  six,  or  eight  steps  are  taken. 

I  then  tell  them  how,  every  time  I  go  for  a  walk, 
whether  on  business  or  pleasure,  whenever  I  come 
to  a  gentle  incline  I  make  it  a  rule  to  practise  deep 
breathing  for,  say,  from  two  to  three  minutes  to 
give  my  lungs  an  air-bath,  and  thereby  (a)  improve 
my  breath  power  and  control  for  singing.  It, 
however,  does  much  more  than  this.  From  a 
health  point  of  view  it  is  very  important,  as 
(b)  it  oxygenises  the  blood ;  (c)  it  improves  the 
circulation  and  strengthens  the  heart;  (d)  it  gives 
that  peristaltic  action  to  the  stomach,  which 
promotes  digestion  and  is  a  foe  to  dyspepsia; 
(e)  it  raises  the  spirit  and  often  banishes  headache  ; 
(/)  it  improves  the  carriage  and  the  figure ;  and 
(g)  it  beautifies  the  complexion. 

But  of  more  importance  than  all  is  the  correct 
subconscious  habit  of  breathing  which  this  daily 
exercise  establishes.  In  my  own  case,  whenever  I 
walk  uphill  I  unconsciously  begin  the  deep- 
breathing  exercise,  and  carry  it  on  for  about  the 
usual  two  minutes.  One  can  see  how  important 
and  useful  this  habit  must  be  to  the  vocalist,  as 


WHEN  AND  WHERE  TO  BREATHE  65 

rhythmic  inhaling  gets  the  breath  apparatus  under 
proper  discipline. 

The  charm  of  it  all  is  the  ease  and  pleasurable 
manner  in  which  it  can  be  acquired,  without  any 
loss  of  time.  To  the  faithful  following  of  these 
instructions  by  many  of  my  singers  we  owe  a  great 
deal  of  our  choral  success. 

To  the  above  hints  and  instructions  I  add  the 
recommendation  that  all  singers  should,  when 
passing  through  doorways,  inflate  their  lungs  as 
though  they  were  going  to  lift  a  heavy  weight,  and 
with  arms  extended  push  or  thrust  against  each 
jamb  of  the  door  for  about  five  seconds,  as  though 
they  wished  to  push  them  down.  This  strengthens 
the  breath  pressure  enormously. 

WHEN  AND  WHERE  TO  BREATHE. 

The  "  How  "  to  breathe  having  been  dealt  with, 
attention  must  now  be  given  to  "  When "  and 
"Where"  to  breathe. 

A  great  fault  with  choral  singers  is  to  leave 
inspiration  until  the  very  last  moment,  or  quarter 
of  a  moment,  with  the  result  that  they  take  snap 
breaths  and  catch  breaths  instead  of  full  breaths. 

Ample  time  should  be  given  for  full  respiration 
whenever  possible.  To  achieve  this  end  a  good 
rule  is  to  take  breath  with  the  conductor's  beat 
which  precedes  the  singer's  entry  or  beginning  of  a 
new  phrase. 

All  these  things  can  be  done  with  a  little  trouble 
if  only  there  be  method.  What  I  suggest  is  that 
every  breathing  place  be  marked  by  each  singer ; 
then  this  sign  is  the  signal  for  taking  breath  in  the 
right  place. 


66  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

The  above  remarks  apply  chiefly  to  each  fresh 
beginning,  when  broad  principles  can  be  followed. 
Much  more  important  is  the  management  of 
breathing  for  artistic  phrasing. 

There  is  a  general  tendency  amongst  undisciplined 
singers  to  sing  as  long  as  they  can  in  a  breath, 
irrespective  of  the  finer  shades  of  phrasing.  The 
only  remedy  for  this  is  to  pattern  the  phrase 
and  get  the  choir  to  mark  the  breathing  places 
carefully.  The  fault  is  often  very  noticeable  at  the 
beginning  of  a  phrase,  when,  being  full  of  breath, 
they  object  to  stop  and  take  another  breath  for  what 
seems  to  them  a  trivial  reason. 

But  these  phrasing  breaths  must  be  observed, 
and  the  conductor  must  not  feel  discouraged  if  in 
such  phrases  as — 

For  unto  us  a  child  is  born, 

Go,  song  of  mine, 

Strike,  strike  the  lyre, 

he  has  to  go  over  the  phrases  a  score  of  times  to 
cultivate  this  habit  of  breath  control  for  artistic 
purposes. 

Conductors  must  read  carefully  the  words  of  each 
piece,  and  in  all  places  of  difficulty,  or  where  special 
care  is  necessary  to  get  a  particular  emphasis  and 
shade  of  meaning,  the  breathing  places  must  be 
indicated.  As  a  rule  the  divisions  fall  so 
naturally  that  in  three-fourths  of  the  piece  there  is 
little  or  no  trouble.  It  is  in  the  remaining  fourth 
that  care  will  have  to  be  exercised. 

When  choice  of  a  breathing  place  has  to  be  made 
in  a  complicated  phrase,  the  following  considerations 
will  give  data  sufficientfto  tread  the  mazy  path  frith 
firmness]: — Breath  may  always  be  taken  after  a  full 


WHEN  AND  WHERE  TO  BREATHE  67 

stop,  colon,  semicolon,  and  comma.  Also  before  a 
preposition,  an  adverb,  a  relative  pronoun,  and, 
when  necessary  for  emphasis,  before  an  adjective 
which  comes  after  the  noun,  as  "  Spirit  Divine  " 
(Cowen's  The  Veil).  Latitude  is  also  given  in 
breathing  before  or  after  the  verb  "  to  be." 

A  burning  question  with  some  conductors  is  how 
to  manage  runs  and  long,  sustained  notes  in  one 
breath.  Theoretically  this  is  the  correct  thing  to 
do,  but  as  it  cannot  be  done  as  successfully  as 
they  would  like,  such  tests  of  breathing  cause  them 
much  anxiety.  In  these  and  similar  cases  I  always 
tell  my  singers  to  take  two  or  three  breaths  so  as 
to  make  sure  of  a  bold  and  confident  finish.  But 
some  may  ask,  Is  this  not  incorrect?  It  would 
be  if  care  were  not  taken  to  make  it  pass 
unnoticed  by  the  auditors.  People  judge  by 
results,  not  by  processes ;  therefore  if  the  effect  is 
all  that  it  should  be,  the  way  in  which  a  thing  is 
accomplished  does  not  matter  much.  This  unity 
of  effect  I  manage  to  get  by  the  following 
method. 

In  all  long  runs,  divisions,  and  long  phrases  of 
any  sort — even  in  sustained  notes — which  cannot 
be  well  managed  by  one  breath,  I  ask  all  the 
singers  whose  name  initials  commence  from  A  to  H 
to  take  breath  on  the  first  beat  of  any  bar  except 
the  last  bar,  which  must  be  sung  with  unbroken 
power  and  firmness.  Those  singers  whose  initials 
are  between  I  and  P  to  take  breath  on  the  second 
beat  and  those  from  Q  to  Z  to  take  breath  on  the 
third  or  fourth  beat,  in  any  bar  except  the  last  (for 
the  reason  stated  above).  To  make  sure  that  this 
is  done  correctly,  I  ask  every  singer  to  mark  his  or 
her  book. 


68   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

The  carrying  out  of  this  instruction  usually 
results  in  a  brilliant  finish  to  runs  and  sustained 
phrases  which  would  otherwise  have  the  effect  of  an 
anticlimax. 

Further  consideration  of  the  subject  of  breathing 
will  be  given  in  the  chapter  on  "  Expression," 
where  pianissimo,  staccato,  breathing  tone,  breath 
afflux,  &c,  will  be  discussed. 


6g 


WORDS : 
ARTICULATION— DICTION. 

Clear  articulation  is  one  of  the  points  upon  vhich 
both  conductors  and  choirs  deceive  themselves. 
They  imagine  efficiency  to  exist  in  performances 
which,  if  tested  by  a  clear,  definite  method  and 
unbiassed  judgment,  would  be  found  woefully 
deficient. 

Through  having  adjudicated  very  often  for  over 
twenty  years,  I  have  naturally  acquired  the 
analytical,  mark-giving  bent  of  mind,  and  when  I 
hear  a  choir  sing,  instinctively  the  appraising  habit 
asserts  itself,  and  comparisons  are  drawn  between 
what  is  being  done  and  the  competition  "bogey"  of 
ioo  per  cent.  When  I  hear,  and  in  this  way  sub- 
consciously adjudicate  upon,  a  soloist  or  choir,  in 
drawing  a  comparison  I  generally  find  that  while  for 
correctness  of  music  the  performers  would  get,  say, 
ioo  per  cent.,  for  voice  95, and  for  expression  90  to  98, 
the  percentage  for  words  would  be  80  or  much  less. 
This  lamentable  imperfection  would  probably  be 
due  to  the  impurity  of  the  vowels  or  neglect  of 
vowel  quantity,  and  the  lack  of  sharp,  clear,  initial 
and  well-defined  final  consonants. 

These  defects  being  so  patent  to  every  listener, 
how   is   it  that  in  spite  of  all   the   severe   things 


yo  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

written  and  said,  choralists  so  universally  fail  to 
overcome  this  vital  shortcoming — I  was  almost 
saying  "vocal  sin  "  ? 

As  I  have  remarked  above,  it  is  largely  due  to 
self-deception  on  the  part  of  the  conductor  and  the 
choristers.  The  conductor  deceives  himself  by 
dwelling  in  the  realms  of  fancy,  instead  of  living  in 
the  region  of  solid  fact.  He  hears  what  he  knows 
he  should  hear,  or,  in  other  words,  he  mentally 
hears  words  and  phrases  because  he  already  has 
them  in  his  mind ;  hence  he  allows  defective 
articulation  to  pass,  which  he  would  never  do  were 
he  conscious  of  being  a  victim  of  his  own  obsession 
and  absent-mindedness. 

The  proper  attitude  of  a  conductor  is  to  take  his 
standard  of  sense-conveying  distinctness  from 
something  outside  himself.  Personally  I  always 
think  of  an  old  gentleman  rather  hard  of  hearing 
seated  in  the  far  gallery,  and  if  the  words  are  not 
very  clear  the  choir  are  reminded  of  the  imaginary 
deaf  gentleman  in  the  gallery,  the  result  being  a 
marked  improvement  in  distinctness  of  utterance  at 
their  next  attempt. 

Choristers  deceive  themselves  by  imagining  that 
in  ordinary  conversation  they  speak  plainly,  and 
that  if  they  sing  as  they  speak  they  must  be  heard 
and  understood. 

This  is  a  complete  fallacy,  as  not  one  in  ten,  or  I 
might  say  one  in  a  hundred,  sings  words  distinctly, 
unless  special  pains  be  taken  to  make  each  word 
carry.  In  the  first  place  it  is  a  great  mistake  to 
fancy  that  conversational  speech  is  clear  and 
distinct.  As  a  rule  it  is  quite  the  reverse.  The 
great  majority  of  people  are  guilty  of  muttering 
their  words,  clipping  the  consonants,  corrupting  the 


ARTICULATION— DICTION  71 

vowels,  and  running  words  into  each  other.  To 
make  matters  worse  it  has  become  a  fad  of  many 
fashionable  ladies  to  finish  each  sentence  as  though 
they  wished  their  voices  to  proceed  from  the  bottom 
of  their  throats.  Fortunately  the  majority  of 
these  irrationals  do  not  speak  for  long,  or  they 
would  have  to  undergo  treatment  for  laryngitis. 
As  it  is,  not  a  few  are  troubled  with  vocal 
ailments  which  can  be  traced  to  this  ventriloquial, 
speak-in-the-boots  fad.  We  may  here  tran- 
scribe Madame  Roland's  famous  words,  and  say, 
"O  Fashion,  how  many  crimes  are  committed 
in   thy   name." 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  people  speak  very  indistinctly 
in  ordinary  conversation,  but  they  are  understood 
by  means  of  the  context.  The  listeners  hear  one 
or  two  words  in  a  sentence,  and  as  they  know  the 
subject  of  conversation,  they  instinctively  supply 
the  missing  vowels  and  consonants. 

For  instance,  if  you  hear  "  It 's  ver  fi  de  to-day," 
you  know  the  speaker  means  to  say,  "  It  is  a  very 
line  day  to-day.''  A  striking  test  of  our  usual 
indistinctness  is  furnished  by  introductions.  How 
few  ever  catch  the  right  name,  and  how  many  have 
to  ask  privately  the  name  of  the  lady  or  gentleman 
to  whom  they  have  been  introduced !  This  is 
chiefly  because  there  is  no  context. 

A  fine  example  of  the  use  of  the  context  was 
furnished  a  short  time  ago  by  a  party  of  navvies. 
One  of  the  party  came  up  to  his  friends,  and  said, 
rapidly,  "an-ony-onye-ony-onyer  ?  "  They  under- 
stood him  at  once,  because  as  he  spoke  he  pulled 
out  his  pipe,  and  they  responded  with  the  offers  of 
tobacco.  What  the  man  asked  was,  "Have  any  of 
you  any  of  it  [tobacco]  on  you  ?  " 


72  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

Choristers  further  deceive  themselves,  even  when 
they  have  been  made  conscious  of  their  deficiencies 
by  facts  such  as  those  just  mentioned,  by  believing 
that  the  amount  of  effort  required  to  speak  distinctly 
will  suffice  to  get  satisfactory  results  in  singing. 

Alas,  this  is  not  so,  because  in  singing  the  words 
have  to  battle  against  the  vocal  tone,  and  there  is 
the  further  handicap  of  the  muscular  effort  of  the 
tongue,  lips,  and  cheeks  in  the  production  of  the 
quality  of  tone  required,  all  of  which  effort 
the  singers  mistakenly  think  is  given  to  the 
production  of  the  words ;  hence  the  universal 
prevalence  of  deception  number  two.  The 
remedies  for  these  errors  will  be  suggested  later. 

But  a  more  potent  reason  for  the  prevalent 
indistinct  articulation  is  the  fact  that  few 
conductors,  and  still  fewer  choristers,  know  how 
to  set  to  work  to  get  the  desired  results ;  how  to 
prevent  that  set  of  mouth  which  is  responsible  for 
the  sound-position  being  usually  one  degree  more 
backward  than  it  ought  to  be ;  how  to  obtain  the 
particular  muscular  action  of  the  tongue,  lips,  and 
cheeks  which  will  secure  the  desired  crisp,  sharp, 
incisive  delivery  of  consonants. 

The  usual  instructions  re  diction,  "  Get  pure 
vowels  and  clear  consonants,"  are  fine  examples  of 
the  "  counsel  of  perfection  " ;  but  what  good  are 
they  if  the  people  advised  do  not  know  the  precise 
point  to  aim  at  to  attain  these  results  ? 

When  in  South  Africa  I  asked  one  of  our  party 
who  had  been  through  the  Boer  War,  and  had 
been  engaged  in  sixteen  fights,  whether  he  had 
ever  killed  a  Boer.  He  said  he  thought  not,  for 
though  he  had  fired  scores  of  rounds  at  the  places 
where  he  knew  the  Boers  to  be  located,  he  never 


INERTIA  73 

knew  the  exact  spot  at  which  to  shoot,  and  therefore 
he  thought  he  had  failed  in  his  object. 

This  is  the  position  of  nearly  every  conductor  I 
know.  They  have  a  good  idea  of  what  is  wanted, 
and  the  direction  in  which  successful  delivery  of 
words  is  to  be  found,  but  not  the  exact  point  to 
which  they  can  unerringly  aim.  To  those  who 
desire  this  open  sesame,  I  propose  in  the  following 
pages  to  disclose  the  plans  I  have  followed  for 
years,  which  have  made  the  clear  articulation  and 
convincing  diction  of  my  choirs  noteworthy.  These 
plans  will  enable  everyone  who  will  take  the  trouble 
involved  in  following  the  instructions  to  secure  clear, 
understandable  words  in  whatever  class  of  vocal 
work  they  may  undertake. 


INERTIA. 

Before  proceeding  with  the  exposition  of  the 
plans  referred  to  above,  it  will  be  absolutely 
necessary  to  refer  to  a  subject  the  consideration 
of  which  cannot  be  any  longer  deferred,  because 
without  complete  mastery  of  the  faults  and 
drawbacks  inherent  to  it,  the  effort  to  improve 
articulation  would  be  futile.  The  subject  is 
Inertia.  Inertia  is  in  evidence  in  every  department 
of  choral  society  work.  It  is  shown  in  the 
irregular  manner  of  going  on  and  off  the  platform 
at  a  concert,  the  listless  rising  and  sitting  of 
a  choir,  the  attack  and  release  of  notes,  and 
the  lack  of  responsiveness  to  the  beat  of  the 
conductor.  These  things  being  very  obvious 
to  conductor  and  officials,  efforts  are  made  from 
time  to  time  to  remedy  the  defects,  and  a 
smartening-up  period  ensues,  but  alas !  it  is  usually 


74   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

short-lived.  However  baneful  inertia  may  be  in 
the  cases  mentioned  above,  its  subtle  influence  is 
much  more  pernicious  in  the  region  of  words, 
because,  its  connection  with  articulation  not  being 
obvious,  its  presence  is  not  suspected.  Yet  inertia 
seems  to  have  every  singer  in  its  grip,  and,  like 
Sindbad's  Old  Man  of  the  Sea,  will  not  loose  its 
hold  until  it  is  forcibly  thrown  off. 

It  is  through  taking  no  cognisance  of  inertia  that 
conductors  have  failed  in  their  efforts  to  improve 
the  articulation  of  their  choirs.  It  is  therefore 
almost  useless  to  give  instructions  how  to  remedy 
lack  of  clearness  in  speech  until  the  head  and  front 
of  the  offence — "  inertia  " — is  conquered. 

On  account  of  the  importance  of  mastering  this 
infirmity,  and  attaining  its  corollary,  the  perfecting 
of  articulation,  I  take  advantage  of  any  special 
choral  event,  such  as  the  World  Tour,  the  visit  to 
Germany,  Paris,  &c, — in  which  every  member  is 
keenly  anxious  to  attain  perfection, — to  give  a 
resume  of  the  principles  of  perfect  articulation  and 
how  to  attain  it.  This  little  lecture  is  usually 
given  at  an  extra  meeting,  when  all  the  evening 
is  devoted  to  the  exposition.  Its  purpose  is  to 
initiate  new  members  into  the  mysteries  of  lingual 
muscular  equipment,  as  well  as  to  revise,  revive, 
and  strengthen  the  knowledge  of  the  older 
members  of  the  society. 

This  recapitulation,  even  in  the  case  of  those 
who  have  heard  the  explanations  before,  is  very 
useful,  for  choristers  are  very  much  like  human 
clocks,  and  need  to  be  occasionally  re-wound. 

Please  imagine  that  such  a  special  meeting  has 
been  called  and  I  am  addressing  the  full  choir — 
each  singer,  as  desired,  provided  with  note-book  and 


INERTIA  75 

pencil — on  the  "  Imperfections  of  Articulation : 
the  causes  and  the  remedy."  The  following  is  a 
rather  full  outline  of  what  I  would  say. 

"  The  subject  that  we  have  met  to  consider  this 
evening  is  how  to  master  words,  how  to  secure 
clear,  correct  articulation,  how  to  get  perfect 
diction.  This  is  most  important,  because  words 
are,  in  my  opinion,  the  most  powerful  things  on 
earth.  You  might  think  that  I,  being  a  musician, 
attach  more  importance  to  the  music  than  to  the 
words,  but  I  do  not.  In  vocal  music  the  words  are 
paramount,  and  it  is  the  function  of  the  music, 
by  sound,  by  rhythm,  and  by  expression,  to 
intensify  and  make  more  living  the  thought 
embodied  in  the  words ;  hence  the  importance 
of  having  the  message  clearly  and  understandingly 
enunciated. 

"  To  go  through  a  piece  without  letting  the 
audience  know  what  you  are  saying  is,  in  my 
opinion,  as  you  have  often  heard  me  say,  a  deep 
disgrace.  It  is  like  playing  '  Hamlet '  and  leaving 
out  the  Prince. 

u  The  lack  of  clearness  and  enunciation,  joined 
to  the  often  incorrect  pronunciation,  are  two  of  the 
standing  weaknesses  of  nearly  all  singers.  This  is 
certainly  true  of  most  choral  societies,  and  you 
yourselves  know  that  we  usually  fall  short  of  our 
ideal,  namely,  the  making  of  ourselves  understood 
by  our  old  friend  the  man  in  the  gallery,  whose 
hearing  is  dulled. 

"  Considering  that  you  are  all  anxious  to  be  heard, 
and  most  of  you  try  to  speak  clearly,  you  think 
that  the  fault  cannot  be  in  you  personally — that  it 
is  because  your  neighbour  does  not  speak  clearly. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  you  both  may  speak  clearly, 


76  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

as  you  think,  but  you  do  not  speak  clearly  enough. 
The  reasons  for  this  are  twofold.  First,  because 
you  do  not  know  exactly  what  to  do,  namely,  how 
to  use  the  muscles  of  the  mouth  to  advantage,  and 
secondly,  because  of  the  inertia  which  prevents 
the  required  freedom  of  muscular  action. 

"  The  question  arises,  What  is  the  inertia  of  which 
we  speak  ?  It  is  the  strong  indisposition  of  the 
muscles  to  work,  and  their  refusal  to  move,  except 
under  the  impulse  of  a  strong  will,  conscience,  or 
necessity. 

"  Some  people  would  call  this  idleness,  but  idleness 
is  such  only  when  the  muscles  refuse  to  work, 
though  desire,  conscience,  or  necessity  demand  that 
work  should  be  done.  In  this  obedience  of  the 
muscles  of  the  mouth  to  the  call  of  the  mind,  soul, 
and  will  lies  the  salvation  of  pure  articulation  and 
graphic  diction. 

"It  may  be  taken  as  an  axiom  that  every  muscle 
in  the  body  is  afflicted  with  the  infirmity  of  inertia, 
and  none  more  than  the  muscles  of  the  mouth, 
tongue,  lips,  and  cheeks.  St.  James  spoke  of  the 
tongue  being  an  unruly  member.  This  is  true  in 
another  sense  besides  that  meant  by  the  Apostle. 

"I  have  said  that  salvation  from  inertia  lies  in  the 
fact  that  our  muscles  would  respond  to  the  will. 
While  this  is  true,  we  must  not  think  that  it  is  an 
easy  matter.  When  any  of  our  muscles  have 
acquired  certain  habits  in  the  course  of  years,  they 
rebel  against  the  slightest  disturbance  of  those 
habits.  Let  a  man  whose  foot  turns  slightly  inwards 
decide  to  turn  it  outwards.  The  struggle  to  achieve 
this  will  be  so  severe  that  in  all  probability  he  will 
abandon  the  contest,  unless  the  impelling  force 
be   a  sense   of   duty.     But,   you   may  fairly   ask, 


INERTIA  77 

•  If  everybody  is  naturally  idle,  why  have  we  so 
many  unidle  men  and  women  ? '  It  is  because  the 
sense  of  duty  comes  in  to  strengthen  the  will. 
For  duty,  people  deny  themselves  indolent  ease, 
selfishness  gives  way  to  self-denial,  and  '  taking  it 
easy '  is  replaced  by  strenuous  effort.  This  is  the 
key  to  the  situation.  So  long  as  singers'  consciences 
are  content  with  60  per  cent,  or  less  of  efficiency, 
they  will  make  no  effort ;  they  will  follow  the  line 
of  least  resistance,  namely,  their  old  easy-going 
habit.  But  let  them  get  an  ideal  of  perfection,  and 
feel  that  it  is  their  duty  to  art,  to  the  society,  or  the 
city  to  which  they  belong,  and  a  transformation 
appears. 

11  This  sense  of  duty  to  our  society  and  to  the 
audiences  who  honour  us  by  their  presence  I  wish 
you  to  feel,  and  you  will  then  overcome  the  Giant 
Despair  against  whom  all  conductors,  including 
myself,  have  to  wage  eternal  war.  Therefore  I 
beg  you  to  be  so  determined  to  combat  this 
insidious  weakness  that,  when  the  muscles  of  the 
mouth  say,  ■  Oh,  leave  us  alone,'  you  must  reply, 
'  No,  I  won't,  you  don't  do  your  work  efficiently, 
consequently  you  must  respond  to  my  demands.' 

"  Here  let  me  give  some  cautions,  instructions, 
and  hints  with  regard  to  mastering  inertia. 
Remember  that  the  slightest  muscular  effort  beyond 
what  is  habitual  will  seem  to  be  greatly  exaggerated ; 
therefore  make  up  your  mind  to  give  twice  or 
thrice  the  effort  you  at  first  think  necessary,  and 
then  you  will  probably  give  half  the  amount  which 
you  should. 

11  Persevere  until  the  unaccustomed  muscular 
action  becomes  natural,  as  it  will  in  a  short 
time,    and    later    it   will    become   a  subconscious 


78   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

attainment.  Remember,  though  it  be  hard  at 
first  to  get  the  tongue  to  move  promptly  and 
sufficiently,  it  is  harder  to  control  the  lips,  and 
hardest  to  dragoon  the  cheeks.  In  other  words, 
In  point  of  inertia  the  tongue  is  bad,  the  lips 
are  worse,  and  the  facial  muscles  the  worst,  as 
we  shall  see  presently  when  we  discuss  how  to 
use  these  muscles  in  developing  pure,  clear 
articulation. 

"But  be  of  good  courage  ;  you  will  triumph  over 
all  difficulties  and  come  out  conqueror,  if  in  your 
struggle  with  about  ten  square  inches  of  muscular 
fibre  you  decide  to  make  your  will  the  controlling 
power. 

"  Having  seen  that  by  mastering  our  natural 
inertia  we  shall  be  able  to  control  the  organs  of 
articulation,  we  will  now  consider  the  principles  of 
clear  and  correct  articulation  and  its  consummation, 
— diction,  i.e.,  the  accomplishment  of  picturing  out 
and  giving  living  power  to  every  word  spoken  or 
sung. 

ARTICULATION.  DICTION. 

"To  get  clear,  distinct,  intelligible  articulation 
you  will  have  to  devote  special  attention  to  two 
things : — (i)  Correct  vowel  quantity,  and  (2) 
distinct  consonant  delivery. 

VOWELS. 

u  It  is  astonishing  in  how  many  cases  the  mere  act 
of  singing  changes  the  vowel-sound.  Ask  even  an 
educated  person  to  sing  the  word  '  man,'  and  the 
chances  are  that  he  will   sing  '  maun,'  while   the 


VOWELS  79 

word  'my*  is  oftener  than  not  sung  'moy. 
Similarly,  the  short  vowel  in  '  the  '  is  changed  to 
1  thuh  ' ;  *  ow  '  often  becomes  '  o,'  and  most  of  the 
other  vowel-sounds  are  more  or  less  perverted. 
Probably  you  would  do  the  same  yourselves.  This 
would  be  so,  not  because  you  do  not  know  better,  but 
from  inertia,  which,  as  I  have  said,  compels  you 
to  miscalculate  the  amount  of  muscular  movement 
necessary  to  produce  any  vowel  when  singing.  This 
strong  indisposition  to  work  causes  the  mouth  to 
make  the  minimum  of  effort,  with  the  result  that 
the  vowels  are  placed  a  degree  further  back  in  the 
mouth  than  they  ought  to  be.  The  remedy  for  this 
is  to  sing  with  forward  articulation,  such  as  is 
favoured  by  the  use  of  nasal  resonance.  Those 
who  shoot  for  prizes  at  Bisley  always  '  make 
allowance  for  the  wind.'  Similarly,  you  must 
make  allowance  for  the  muscular  disturbance 
caused  by  placing  your  mouths  in  the  position  for 
singing,  and  by  will  power  project  your  voices  and 
words  much  more  forward  than  you  deem  necessary 
to  attain  the  same  position  in  your  mouths  that  the 
words  would  demand  if  you  were  speaking. 

"The  vowels  oo,  oh,  aw,  ah,  ai,  ee,  and  their 
corresponding  short  vowels  should  be  practised  to 
Ex.  i  (page  22),  with  special  reference  to  vowel 
quantity  rather  than  to  tone-quality,  which  has  been 
the  object  in  the  past. 

"  You  must  realise  that  some  vowels  and 
diphthongs  are  more  difficult  to  sing  than  others, 
and  that  a  vowel  is  often  more  difficult  to  sing  on 
a  high  note  than  on  a  low  note. 

"A  very  difficult  vowel  to  get  pure  is  ah  and  its 
short  form  a.  Unless  great  care  is  taken  it 
becomes  perverted  to  aw.     To  give  one  example 


8o  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

only,  you  are  familiar  with  'Mighty  in  battle,' 
which,  as  you  know,  is  frequently  pronounced 
'Moighty  in  bottle.'  Alertness  and  determination 
are  required  when  the  vowels  ah,  ai,  ee,  and 
their  short  sounds  are  sung  on  high  notes,  otherwise 
every  one  will  sound  like  aw  or  short  o,  as  in 
the  case  of  'His  mercy'  (Elijah),  which  is  nearly 
always  sung  as  'morcy,'  on  the  high  G. 

"  The  reason  why  the  much-abused  i  is 
perverted  to  oi  is  because  i  consists  of 
forward  ah  and  ee,  the  former  dwelt  on,  and 
the  latter  just  glanced  at  as  the  diphthong  is  left : 
if  the  ah  is  not  forward  then  it  becomes  aw, 
the  result  being  aw-ee  =  oi.  Should  the  ah  be 
quitted  too  soon,  and  the  ee  dwelt  on  too  long,  we 
get  that  quaint  effect  which  we  have  heard  so  often 
— but  of  which  few  know  the  real  cause — in  the 
verse  : — 

'  When  I-ee  can  read  myee  tieetle  clear 
To  mansions  in  the  skiees, 
I-ee'l  bid  farewell  to  every  fear 
And  wi-eep  my-ee  weeping  eyees.' 

The  importance  of  the  two  things  mentioned  above 
— the  forward  ah  and  the  rapid  quitting  of 
the  second  vowel  of  the  diphthong — is  shown  in 
words  containing  ow  =  ah-oo.  This  is  reversed 
in  one  diphthong,  u  =  e-oo,  as  in  dew,  where  the 
second  sound  must  be  dwelt  upon  and  the  first 
vowel  quitted  rapidly,  or  we  shall  get  such  a  result 
as  'bee-ootiful.' 

"  Some  of  our  great  singers  have  so  far 
transgressed  in  the  matter  of  vowel  quantity  that 
they  have  sanctioned  some  of  these  errors,  and 
have    caused    less    gifted    singers    to    copy    such 


CONSONANTS  81 

peculiarities,  just  as  Spurgeon's  students  used  to 
copy  the  pulpit  mannerisms  of  the  great  preacher. 
But  let  it  be  said  that  these  singers  are  great  in 
spite  of  these  faults,  not  on  account  of  them. 
Even  they  are  victims  of  inertia ;  hence  their  fall 
from  perfection  in  articulation.  But  these 
blemishes  are  overlooked  on  account  of  other 
great  qualities  which  throw  them  into  the  shade. 
The  public  unconsciously  measure  them  as  profit 
and  loss  is  gauged ;  they  count  as  gain  all  that  is 
left  of  the  profit  when  the  loss  has  been  subtracted. 
Thus  if  a  singer  shows  a  good  balance  of  voice  and 
artistic  effect,  we  forgive  in  one  the  'swoop'  with 
which  her  name  is  associated,  the  wretched 
'wobble'  of  another  singer,  the  slight  out-of-tune- 
ness  of  another,  the  hanging-on-below-pitch  of 
another,  and  the  bad  control  of  vowels  of  quite  a 
number.  Nevertheless  these  great  singers  would 
be  better  without  such  defects.  The  great  choirs 
of  the  future  must  be  without  them,  and  their 
influence  will  cause  artists  to  remedy  their  own 
defects.    Signs  of  this  are  not  wanting  even  now. 

CONSONANTS. 

"However  important  the  vowels  are,  the  consonants 
are  still  more  important,  for  on  these  depend  the 
precise  sense  and  graphic  power  of  what  is  sung, 
and  in  their  delivery  rest  a  great  deal  of  the  spirit 
and  verve  of  a  piece.  Notwithstanding  the 
reiterated  injunctions  in  elocution  books  to  make 
the  final  consonants  clear,  we  still  find  the  same 
old  slipshod  way  of  articulating  consonants. 

"Why  are  consonants  so  widely  neglected  ?    After 
making  due  allowances  for  the  ever-present  inertia, 


82   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

I  think  that  the  non-success  is  due  to  the  singers 
not  knowing  precisely  what  to  do,  what  to  aim  at. 
They  do  not  know  what  particular  muscular  action 
of  the  lips,  tongue,  and  palate  will  secure  the 
desired  crisp,  sharp,  incisive  delivery  of  consonants. 
I  will  therefore  endeavour  to  put  in  a  new  light, 
and  to  state  in  a  new  way,  what  a  consonant  is, 
promising  that  whenever  a  pupil  or  a  class  has 
grasped  this,  all  indistinctness  will  vanish. 

"By  a  consonant  we  mean  a  letter  which 
represents  a  particular  impression  made  upon  the 
mind  when  a  sound  is  abruptly,  forcibly,  and 
markedly  stopped  by  the  lips,  teeth,  palate  or 
throat.  These  sounds  may  be  stopped  entirely  or 
only  partially. 

"  As  illustrations  of  what  is  meant,  let  us  take  the 
explodents,  which  are  classified  as  under  : — 

Labials,  p  and  b. 
Dentals,  /  and  d. 
Palatals,  ch  and/. 
Gutturals,  k  and#  (hard). 

"  If  we  wish  to  say  '  rope  '  we  first  say  '  ro,'  and 
then  make  a  stoppage  of  the  sound  at  our  lips,  and 
this  particular  kind  of  stoppage  we  associate  with 
/>,  and  we  then  hear  the  word  '  rope.'  If  we  say 
ro,  and  make  a  heavier  stoppage  at  our  lips,  we 
get  '  robe ' ;  if  we  stop  the  sound  at  our  teeth  we 
get  the  impression  of  /  or  d}  as  in  the  words  '  get,' 
4  rote,'  or  '  road  ' ;  if  at  our  palate  we  get  ch  or  /, 
as  in  'church'  or  'judge,'  while  if  the  stoppage 
is  made  in  our  throat  we  get  'roke'  or  'rogue.' 
Though  this  is  not  quite  the  same  with  all 
consonants,  it  is  quite  near  enough  for  our  purpose 
to  make  the  general  and  important  statement  that 


CONSONANTS  83 

to  get  clear  consonants  what  we  have  to  do  is  to 
make  the  stoppage  of  our  sounds  complete,  and  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  give  the  hearer  no  doubt  as  to  where 
it  is  made, 

"  From  what  you  have  heard  you  will  realise  that 
to  get  keen,  incisive  articulation  you  have  to  know 
the  exact  spot  in  the  mouth  or  nasal  cavities  where 
each  stoppage  of  the  sound  is  made,  so  that  each 
click,  hum,  buzz,  and  aspirate  can  be  located. 
This  can  be  done  by  the  rapid,  crisp,  smart, 
well-controlled  movement  of  the  articulatory 
muscles,  as  opposed  to  the  conventional  sluggish 
manner  in  which  many  of  you  now  sing. 

"Just  imagine  what  this  knowledge  should  mean 
to  you.  Instead  of  floundering  about  in  the  bog  of 
uncertainty,  you  can  act  with  decision.  Whereas 
in  your  will -o'- the- wisp -like  search  you  had 
metaphorically  to  sing,  '  Thou  art  so  near  and  yet 
so  far,'  you  should  now  be  able  to  sing,  '  Thou  art 
my  guiding  star.'  Summarizing  the  whole,  here  is 
the  talismanic  key  to  unlock  the  gates  of  indis- 
tinctness of  speech  : — Hold  the  vowel-sounds  as 
long  as  the  notes  sung  will  allow,  then  by  an 
instantaneous  movement  of  the  muscles  of  the 
mouth  effect  the  stoppage  of  sound  in  the  place 
required,  and  the  result  will  be  the  production  of 
perfect  consonants. 

"On  account  of  the  inertia  already  referred  to,  the 
most  anxious  student  cannot  perform  these  actions 
as  cleanly  and  as  swiftly  as  they  should  be  done, 
without  preliminary  exercises,  which  should  be 
designed  to  give  a  maximum  of  benefit  with  a 
minimum  of  trouble.  Such  a  set  of  exercises  is 
provided  for  initial  consonants  in  the  following 
alliterative  sentences,  which,  as  many  of  you  know, 


84   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

have    proved   to   be   very  advantageous  to    those 
who  have  used  them  conscientiously : — 

P.     Pearls  please  pretty  Penelope. 

B.     Big  Ben  broke  Bertha's  bouncing  ball. 

T.     Try  teaching  to  tax  temper. 

D.    Dear  Dora  danced  delightfully. 

Th.  Thin  things  think  thick  thoughts. 

77*.  Thee,  thou  them  that  thou  thee  {thou  used 
as  a  verb). 

Ch.  Church  chaps  chirp  chants  cheerfully. 

/.     John  Jones  jumps  jauntily. 

K.    Clever  cricketers  keep  catches. 

G.    Guy  gives  good  gifts  gracefully. 

F.     Fair  flirts  fancy  French  fashions. 

V.    Vain  Vernon  vowed  vengeance. 

M.    Mild-mannered  men  make  money. 

N.    Nellie  never  noticed  Norah. 

R.     Round  rough  rocks  ragged  rascals  ran. 

L.     Lion  lilies  like  light. 

W.  Wise  women  won't  whine. 

u  Exercise  for  final  consonants   is  provided    in 
phrases  like  the  following : — 

Tip-top  trip.  Search  church  porch. 

Bob  rub  tub.  Madge  lodge  Hodge. 

Bright  white  light.  Mike  woke  Luke. 

Fred  led  Ned.  Snug  swag-bag. 

"  In  practising  these  phrases,  bear  in  mind  that 
it  is  not  the  mere  saying  of  them,  but  how  you 


CONSONANTS  85 

say  them,  that  counts.  For  instance,  in  words 
containing  p,  b,  /,  v,  m,  or  w,  which  involve 
the  use  of  the  lips,  see  that  they  close  with 
rapid  action,  because  the  lips  are  very  reluctant 
to  close. 

"  The  th  groups  require  great  care,  for  you 
know  we  have  often  to  stop  to  get  '  the '  clearly 
pronounced.  In  fact,  any  choir  which  can  sing 
'  the '  perfectly  is  in  the  highest  class.  When 
singing  a  final  consonant,  avoid  the  common  error 
of  ceasing  to  make  the  sound  before  you  actually 
reach  the  end  of  the  word,  with  the  result  that 
1  sheep '  sounds  like  '  shee,'  '  Help,  Lord '  like 
4  Hel,  Lor.'  To  remedy  this  serious  shortcoming, 
introduce  the  faint-sounding  uh  at  the  end  of 
each  consonant.  This  acts  as  a  sound-carrying 
1  glide,'  or,  in  other  words,  enables  the  sound  to 
glide  to  the  click,  hum,  or  buzz  necessary  to 
make  the  consonant  distinct.  To  secure  this 
carrying  ■  glide '  some  singers  add  er  or  a 
short  ah  to  their  words:  thus  '  sheep '  becomes 
•  sheep  (er)  '  or  '  sheep  (a)  ' ;  '  Help,  Lord  '  becomes 
1  Help  (a)  Lord  (a).'  This  is  exaggerating  the 
glide  unnecessarily  and  disagreeably,  but  if  the 
glide  uh  is  given  delicately,  it  imparts  definition 
to  the  consonant,  without  being  in  the  least 
objectionable. 

"  Up  to  the  present  I  have  spoken  of  not 
giving  enough  prominence  to  the  finals,  but  in 
the  case  of  the  sibilants  s,  z,  sh  and  ce,  please 
curtail  them  as  much  as  possible,  and  never 
introduce  them  till  the  last  eighth  of  the  beat. 
Usually  there  is  a  disagreeable  hissing  sound  at  the 
close  of  such  words  as  '  peace,'  '  hush,'  ■  pass,' 
because  many  singers  pass  to  the  sibilant  too  soon, 


86  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

and  nearly  everybody  keeps  the  tongue  to  the  roof 
of  the  mouth  instead  of  withdrawing  it  quickly,  say 
to  the  lower  teeth,  or  letting  the  lower  j aw  fall  slightly. 
Attention  to  this  will  remedy  a  grave  defect. 

"  In  conclusion  I  would  remark  that  the  practical 
application  of  clear  articulation  to  the  laws  that 
govern  diction  will  be  treated  when  we  study 
4  Expression.' " 

It  is  strictly  on  the  lines  enunciated  in  the 
foregoing  little  lecture,  supplemented  by  passing 
remarks  at  rehearsals,  that  such  success  as  we  have 
had  in  diction  has  been  achieved ;  and  I  feel  sure 
that  others  may  be  equally  successful,  or  more  so, 
even  to  the  obtaining  ioo  per  cent.,  if  they  will 
follow  the  hints  given. 

It  has  been  assumed  in  the  foregoing  that  the 
singers  were  perfectly  familiar  with  the  correct 
pronunciation  of  every  word,  and  that  every 
deviation  from  correctness  was  due  to  imperfect 
control  of  the  vocal  muscles.  But  there  are 
districts  in  which  even  educated  people  have  certain 
peculiarities  of  pronunciation  which  call  for  a  word 
of  caution.  For  instance,  a  city  in  the  south  had 
some  of  its  peculiarities  well  revealed  by  a  verger 
who  was  showing  a  party  of  Yorkshire  people  round 
a  well-known  cathedral  during  a  recent  Handel 
Festival  week,  immediately  after  he  had  ciceroned 
a  party  of  Americans.  He  said,  "  Oi  can  under- 
stand what  you  Yorkshire  people  sye  (say),  but  the 
wye  (way)  those  Americans  murder  the  King's 
English  is  enough  to  give  anybody  the  '  amp ' 
(hump)."  He  was  blissfully  unconscious  that  he 
was  not  using  perfect  King's  English  himself.  The 
same  can  be  said  of  those  who  turn  every  g  into 
kt  as  in  the  word  "  nothink,"  while  in  the  north 


CONSONANTS  87 

there  are  those  who  say  "  deeficult  waird "  for 
11  difficult  word."  The  importance,  in  an  artistic 
sense,  of  being  absolutely  correct  was  shown  to 
me  by  a  famous  Scotch  baritone  singer.  I  asked 
him  how  a  common  friend,  who  had  a  really 
good  voice,  was  getting  on  in  the  profession.  He 
answered,  "  Oh,  he  is  not  getting  on  at  all,  and 
won't,  because  he  sings  English  songs  like  a 
Scotchman  " — i.e.,  with  a  Scotch  accent. 

In  every  case  the  conductor  must  be  sure  of 
King's  English,  and,  if  necessary,  pattern  every 
doubtful  word. 


88 


MUSICAL   EXPRESSION. 

Of  the  many  factors  which  go  to  make  a  pleasing 
and  successful  musical  performance,  the  most 
important  is  that  combination  of  colouring,  intensi- 
fying, and  shading  which  we  term  Expression  in 
music.  A  composition  may  be  ever  so  cleverly 
written,  but  its  vitality  often  depends  upon  the  way 
it  is  presented, — whether  the  spirit  of  the  work  is 
revealed,  the  proper  atmosphere  caught,  the  crises 
well  arranged.  There  is  no  doubt  that  scores  of 
compositions  have  been  killed  by  first  performances 
which  have  lacked  the  requisite  artistic  tone  of 
expression,  while  other  works  which  have  happily 
and  properly  survived  ran  great  risk  of  being 
consigned  to  oblivion  through  the  same  cause. 

The  now  historical  example  of  the  first  per- 
formance of  The  Dream  of  Gerontius  is  a  case 
in  point.  When  this  classic  was  first  put  into 
rehearsal  the  new  idiom  was  incomprehensible  to 
the  choralists,  while  every  one  failed  to  grasp  the 
then  strange  combination  of  mystical,  diabolical, 
and  ecstatical  elements  which  run  through  the 
whole  oratorio.  The  result  was  that  at  the  initial 
performance  the  musical  expression  which  should 
have  illuminated  the  work  and  made  the  whole 
intelligible  was  almost  entirely  absent,  and  the 
performance     was     a     complete     fiasco.       Those 


MUSICAL   EXPRESSION  89 

of  us  who  were  convinced  of  the  supreme  merits 
of  the  work — which  in  my  opinion  marked  an 
epoch  in  choral  composition — were  very  sad  and 
depressed. 

This  incident  shows  how  imperative  it  is  for 
conductors  to  grasp  the  principles  of  artistic 
expression,  to  cultivate  critical  acumen  and  to 
enlarge  the  faculty  of  taste,  not  only  to  do  justice 
to  works  which  they  may  have  to  conduct,  but  also 
because  the  ultimate  status  of  a  choir  or  conductor 
depends  upon  artistic  renderings  as  embodied  in 
musical  expression. 

This  pre-eminence  of  musical  expression  is  so 
universally  felt  that  singers  and  instrumentalists 
take  their  rank  more  from  possessing  the  power  to 
sing  or  play  with  expression  than  from  possessing  a 
good  voice  or  digital  dexterity.  It  is  true  that  a 
singer  with  a  good  voice  alone,  or  a  player  with 
special  technique,  may  win  a  temporary  reputation, 
but  it  is  only  temperamental  artists  who  achieve  and 
maintain  positions  in  the  front  rank. 

The  difference  between  the  two  is :  one  is  merely 
a  singer  with  a  voice,  and  the  other  is  a  singer 
who  can  sing ;  in  instrumentalists  one  is  a  mere 
technician,  while  the  other  is  an  artist. 

To  emphasise  the  importance  of  expression  it 
will  only  be  necessary  to  recall  to  mind  the  present- 
day  vocalists  who  occupy  leading  or  front-rank 
positions,  whose  voices  are  of  very  mediocre 
quality,  but  who,  by  virtue  of  their  emotional, 
temperamental,  and  expressive  interpretations, carry 
conviction  to  their  hearers,  and  thus  make  their 
artistic  position  secure. 

There  are  two  great  impediments  connected  with 
the  acquisition  of  the  power  to  impart  expression 


go  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

to  music,  which  prevent  hosts  of  otherwise  good 
musicians  from  advancing  further  than  the  fringe 
of  the  subject.  The  first  drawback  is  its  subtle 
elusiveness,  and  the  second  is  the  length  of  time 
required  by  even  artistic  temperaments  to  inhale 
so  fully  its  principles  that  they  can  exhale  its 
fragrant  essence. 

As  I  have  remarked,  expression  is  one  of  the 
most  elusive  things  with  which  a  conductor  has  to 
grapple.  Its  difficulty  lies  in  its  indefiniteness.  I 
do  not  mean  that  it  is  a  difficult  task  to  realise 
and  get  the  observance  of  the  different  marks  of 
expression  piano,  forte,  &c. — although  many  con- 
ductors do  not  get  even  these — but  to  acquire 
that  subtle  perception,  a  kind  of  "  sixth  sense," 
which  dictates  what  is  suited  to  every  note  and 
phrase,  how  to  develop  the  aesthetic  and  dramatic 
idea  of  the  composition,  is  by  no  means  easy.  But 
when  one  has  become  infected  with  the  "  microbe 
of  expression  "  and  means  business,  this  instinctive 
feeling  for  expression  will  develop  rapidly. 

That  a  conductor  or  performer  may  lose  sight  of 
the  expression  of  a  piece  and  be  unconscious  that 
he  is  so  doing,  is  a  commonplace.  This  may  arise 
not  so  much  from  lack  of  artistic  perception  as 
from  his  giving  undue  attention  to  some 
particular  aspect  or  aspects  of  the  work  in 
hand — correctness  of  music,  rigid  regard  to 
tempo,  literal  performance  of  the  p's  and  fs 
of  the  copy — so  that  it  or  they  crowd  out  the 
poetic  element  of  expression,  and  instead  of  his 
being  an  emotional  artist  he  is  merely  a  human 
metronome. 

The  relation  of  a  personal  experience  may 
illustrate  this  point.     Some  thirty  years  ago,  when 


MUSICAL   EXPRESSION  91 

the  Sheffield  Musical  Union  was  in  its  infancy, 
I,  as  an  enthusiastic  amateur,  was  very  keen  on 
the  members  becoming  good  sight  -  readers  of 
music,  and  we  got  to  be  so  expert  that  I  was  very 
proud  of  our  attainments  in  this  direction.  In  my 
pride  I  invited  a  critical  and  musically  cultured 
friend  (Mr.  Sam  Johnson)  to  come  and  hear  us,  as 
I  wished  to  surprise  him.  He  came ;  we  sang, 
and  then  I  asked  for  his  verdict,  expecting 
that  he  would  be  enthusiastic  and  say  that  he  had 
not  heard  anything  like  it.  I  was  terribly 
disappointed.  He  said,  "  Your  sight-singing  is,  in 
its  way,  very  clever,  but  you  can't  sing.  Where 
are  the  quality  of  tone,  the  shading  of  expression, 
the  phrasing,  the  smoothness  of  delivery,  in  fact, 
all  the  points  that  go  to  make  artistic  singing  ? 
Though  you  may  get  through  the  music  in  a 
wonderful  manner,  you  can't  sing." 

This  cold  douche  set  me  thinking,  and  showed 
me  that  if  a  conductor  lacks  ideality,  the 
potentialities  of  taste  and  expression  will  remain 
undeveloped,  and  dull  and  heavy  singing  will 
result.  It  altered  my  whole  course.  While  not 
neglecting  sight-singing,  I  determined  to  wipe  out 
the  reproach  and  make  the  choir  "sing."  Here  it 
will  be  well  to  repeat  a  story,  which,  in  my  then 
disturbed  and  receptive  state  of  mind,  greatly 
influenced  me.  A  poor  French  artist  invited  a 
number  of  his  friends  to  a  fish  supper,  which 
proved  to  be  so  enjoyable  that  they  were  all  in 
raptures.  Not  one,  however,  of  the  guests  could 
tell  what  kind  of  fish  they  had  eaten.  After  great 
pressure  the  artist  told  them  that  the  fish  was 
merely  herring,  at  which  his  guests  marvelled,  and 
inquired  how  it  was  possible  for  herring  to  be  so 


92   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

extremely   enjoyable.      He  replied,   "It  was   the 
sauce  that  did  it." 

Here  was  my  cue.  It  was  the  way  pieces  were 
served  up  which  made  them  palatable  or  otherwise 
It  should  be  my  quest  to  find  out  the  underlying 
principles  of  expression,  so  that  music  served  up  by 
myself  should,  in  future,  have  the  advantage  of 
enriching,  appetizing  musical  sauce. 

In  this  search  I  became  conscious  that  mere 
pianos  and  fortes  were  not  the  sum  total  of 
expression,  even  when  given  with  bandmaster-like 
fidelity,  but  that  something  more  was  required 
to  differentiate  between  the  common  expression 
in  a  piece  and  an  artistic  rendering.  The 
question  arose,  "What  is  this  subtle  essence, 
this  ether-like  quality  which  must  be  present, 
but  which,  like  the  overtones  of  a  Stradivarius 
violin  or  nasal  resonance,  must  not  be  in 
evidence  except  as  it  enriches  and  glorifies  the 
sounds  produced  ?  "  Two  or  three  remarks  by 
Ruskin  a  propos  the  sister  art  of  painting  put  me 
on  the  right  track,  and  from  these  arose  that 
scheme  of  expression  which  I  now  follow,  and  which 
for  the  guidance  of  others  I  have  attempted  to 
codify. 

The  first  point  was :  The  curve  is  the  basis  of 
beauty  in  design.  The  second  was :  Beauty  in 
design  is  something  almost  symmetrical.  The 
third  was  :  Every  speck  of  paint  should  have  its 
climax,  or  should  tend  to,  and  be  part  of,  a  climax. 

These  hints  were  extremely  useful ;  but  I  felt 
that  something  was  still  lacking,  and  for  a  long 
time  I  was  searching  for  this  missing  link,  when  I 
came  across  two  illuminating  statements  of  the 
same  thought  by  two  great  painters — Haydon  and 


MUSICAL  EXPRESSION  93 

Watts — which  made  me  cry  out,  like  Archimedes 
of  old,  "  Eureka !  Eureka !  I  have  found  it !"  This 
fourth  suggestive  thought  was :  The  line  of  beauty 
in  design  is  such  that  no  two  parts  of  it  contain  the 
same  arc  of  a  circle.  Haydon  illustrated  this  by  a 
spiral,  which  showed  his  contention  convincingly. 
From  the  above  fundamental  principles  of  art  I 
deduced  the  scheme  of  musical  expression  which 
I  have  ever  since  followed,  with,  I  hope,  decided 
success.  This  scheme  may  be  formulated  as 
follows : — 

(1)  Regard  the  swell  as  the  basis  of  the  beautiful 

in  music,  and  the  chief  source  of  all 
effective  expression. 

(2)  Take  care  that  the  patterns  of  design  do  not 

occur  with  mathematical  regularity,  or 
the  effect  will  be  mechanical. 

(3)  Always  go  from  somewhere  to  somewhere, 

rising  directly  or  indirectly  to  some  rousing 
climax,  or  toning  down  to  some  equally 
effective  point  of  repose.  Have  an  Ideal 
to  aim  at. 

(4)  Conform   to  the   demands   of  the   "  line  of 

beauty  "  by  getting,  when  needed,  variety 
of  force  and  design  in  each  note,  phrase, 
or  movement. 

(5)  Never  treat  a  note,  phrase,  or  movement  in 

an  isolated  manner,  but  let  it  be  con- 
sidered in  relation  to  the  whole  movement, 
cantata,  or  oratorio — learn  to  think  in 
musical  continents,  or,  as  Rodin  says,  in 
"  mass." 

From  the  above   guiding   principles   comes  the 
grand  deduction  that  musical  expression  resolves 


94  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

itself  into  the  "  art  of  phrasing."  By  phrasing  is 
understood  the  art  of  securing  proper  expression  to 
every  note,  bar,  and  phrase,  and  so  arranging  them 
that  each  phrase  has  some  point  of  variety  and 
contrast  with  every  other  phrase,  and  so  bears  a 
proper  relation  to  the  context,  the  whole  merging 
into  an  artistic  unity  and  producing  a  sense  of 
harmonious  design  in  expression. 

Expression  will  be  dealt  with  separately,  but  the 
dominant  fact  of  the  relationship  and  subserviency 
of  all  its  separate  limbs  to  artistic  phrasing  will 
ever  be  present,  although  the  word  "  phrasing " 
may  not  be  often  mentioned. 

Let  us  now  consider  the  subject  in  detail. 

Musical  expression  may  conveniently  be  said  to 
consist  of  three  main  divisions  : — 

(i)  The  regulation  of  rhythm. 

(2)  The   application,   variation,  and   control  of 

dynamic  (tonal)  and  emotional  force. 

(3)  The    portrayal    of    various    mental    states, 

extreme  moods,  and  fancies,  such  as 
laughter,  hatred,  derision,  ribaldry,  anger, 
despair,  &c. 

To  the  above  must  be  added,  in  vocal  music : — 

(4)  Management     of     words,     diction,     verbal 

shadings  by  emphasis,  tone-colour,  &c. 

Rhythm.  What  is  rhythm  ?  We  all  know 
that  music  moves  in  beats  or  pulses,  and  at 
regular  intervals — say,  at  every  two,  three,  or 
four  beats— some  of  these  beats  are  stressed 
or  accented.  It  is  these  accents  which  produce 
rhythm ;  therefore  rhythm  may  be  defined  as 
a  pattern  of  accents,  or  a  phrase  of  pulses  made 
characteristic  by  the  effect  of  its  contrasted  strong 


MUSICAL   EXPRESSION  95 

and  weak  accents.  Rhythms  may  be  observed 
even  in  statuary  and  architecture.  Rhythms  may 
be  regular,  as  when  they  follow  the  time-signatures  ; 
and  irregular,  as  when  many  syncopations  are 
introduced. 

Of  all  the  branches  of  music,  I  think  that  the 
study  of  rhythm  is  the  most  neglected,  and  its 
possibilities  least  understood.  We  learn  as  a 
matter  of  course  the  tune,  time,  and  perhaps 
expression  of  a  piece,  but  rhythm  often  escapes  us. 
And  yet  the  grasping  of  this  somewhat  elusive 
element  is  of  the  utmost  importance. 

It  is  the  absence  of  well-defined  rhythm  which 
makes  so  many  pianoforte  recitals  become  weari- 
some, and  causes  so  many  otherwise  fine  players 
to  be  concert  failures.  I  say  advisedly  that  of  our 
leading  pianists  Paderewski  owes  his  pre-eminence 
more  to  his  mastery  of  rhythm — his  delicious 
control  of  accents — than  to  any  other  single  factor. 
I  personally  know  and  have  heard  other  pianists 
who  have  as  great  or  greater  technique,  but  the 
peculiar  charm  of  the  Polish  master  pianist  is 
absent  from  their  playing,  consequently  they  are 
comparative  failures — the  cause,  according  to  my 
analysis,  being  their  defective  rhythm.  It  is  this 
same  element,  a  delightful  sense  of  rhythm,  that 
makes  M.  Pachmann's  renderings  of  Chopin 
supreme. 

In  the  organ  world,  Mr.  Edwin  H.  Lemare 
has  a  more  wonderful  faculty  of  imparting  the 
sense  of  rhythm  than  any  other  organist  I  know, 
and  this  rhythmic  swing,  coupled  to  his  brilliant 
technique,  produces  that  exhilarating  effect 
which  draws  crowded  audiences  to  all  his  organ 
recitals. 


96  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

The  lesson  of  these  pregnant  facts  has  been 
burnt  into  my  mind,  and  fully  utilised  by  me  in 
the  training  of  my  choirs. 

In  view  of  the  importance  of  this  observance  of 
accent,  two  questions  arise : — (i)  Why  is  so  much 
choral  singing  lacking  in  rhythm,  and  consequently 
in  interest  ?  and  (2)  Why  is  rhythmless  music 
favoured  in  some  circles  ? 

The  first  result  is  due  in  many  cases  to  the  fact 
that  so  many  choral  conductors  are  organists. 
They  have  grown  so  accustomed  to  the  lack  of 
spring  in  the  music  they  most  frequently  hear, 
that  the  absence  of  rhythmic  pulsation  does  not 
strike  them  as  it  does  the  general  public,  who, 
though  critical  and  conscious  of  a  lack  of  some- 
thing, are  not  analytical  enough  to  hit  upon  the 
true  explanation. 

The  result,  in  the  second  case,  arises  from  the 
hyper-sensitive  taste  of  a  limited  class  of  musicians 
who  prefer  the  nebulous,  dreamy,  and  inconclusive, 
rather  than  the  clear  and  well  defined.  Whether 
this  is  an  indication  of  superior  judgment  or  merely 
depraved  taste  is  a  debatable  point  which  need  not 
now  be  discussed. 

My  own  view  is  that  whether  it  denotes  growth 
or  decay,  a  conductor's  outlook  should  be  wide 
enough  to  embrace  and  treat  sympathetically  even 
rhythmless  music. 

But  as  this  class  does  not  appeal  to  the  ordinary 
cultured  ideal,  and  as  rhythm  is  the  vitalizing 
element  in  music,  conductors  should  cultivate 
rhythm — not  the  bald,  rigid  thing,  but  poetical 
pulsations,  i.e.,  with  the  corners  rounded  off, 
accents  with  an  atmosphere;  and  if  this  is  done 
successfully  the  works  performed  will  come  upon 


MUSICAL   EXPRESSION  97 

the  critic  with  the  freshness  of  a  stream  of  water 
in  a  thirsty  land. 

Quite  recently  I  heard  a  mild-mannered  lady 
asked  how  it  was  that  she  got  her  very  determined 
husband  to  do  just  what  she  wanted.  She  said  that 
it  was  simply  that  she  "managed"  him  without 
letting  him  know  that  she  did  it.  This  is  precisely 
what  conductors  and  performers  generally  must 
do  with  regard  to  obtaining  rhythm.  They 
must  "  manage "  it  without  making  the  means 
employed  or  the  accents  themselves  too  obvious — 
in  fact,  the  successful  achievement  of  artistic 
rhythm  may  be  set  down  as  a  good  example  of 
"  art  concealing  art." 

I  will  now  explain  the  principles  by  which  this 
management  may  be  accomplished  : — 

1.  Always  preserve  the  sense  of  the  rhythm  of 

the  time-signature. 

2.  Add  the  element  of  variety  by  making  on  all 

possible  occasions  two-,  three-,  four-, 
six-bar,  &c,  rhythms. 

3.  Secure  modifications  of  the  accents  by  means 

of  delicate  pressures  and  swells,  and 
thus  obtain  contrasts  between  dynamic 
(masculine)  and  emotional  (feminine) 
accents. 

4.  Remember   that   it   is    possible    to   maintain 

the  idea  of  signature  rhythm  without 
the  crest  of  the  accent  being  on  the  first 
beat. 

5.  Emphasise    the     accents — sometimes    every 

note — in  working  up  to  a  fortissimo 
climax. 


98  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

6.  Strike  firmly  all  syncopated  notes  and  other 

salient  parts  of  irregular  rhythms. 

7.  In  cross-rhythms  let  each  individual  rhythm 

be  well-defined,  while  preserving  the  swing 
of  the  whole. 

8.  Sustained  notes  and   reiterated  notes   should 

be  sung  with  crescendo  when  they  ter- 
minate at  a  strong  accent,  or  are  followed 
by  a  higher  note  on  a  strong  beat. 

9.  Frequently  a  note,  by  reason  of  its  being  a 

discord — prepared  or  unprepared — or  a 
resisting  harmony  note,  requires  special 
emphasis. 

10.  The  first  notes   of   triplets  should  be  well 

defined. 

It  may  be  thought  a  very  easy  matter  to  secure 
the  sense  of  the  rhythm  of  the  time-signature.  But 
sometimes  the  swing  of  the  rhythm  is  obscured 
by  the  form  or  shape  of  the  melody,  by  the 
introduction  of  syncopation,  or  by  the  grouping  of 
the  notes.  Take,  for  instance,  the  well-known 
phrase : — 


1 


fe-j-JLLQ-pTOj  U^=^ 


and    all        flesh"" .    shall     see     it     to  -    ge  -  ther, 

This   is  usually  sung  incorrectly,  the   high   notes 
being  sung  too  loudly,  thus  perverting  the  rhythm- 
Take  again  the  subject : — 


And    with    His  stripes        we    are        heal      -     ed, 

the  usual  loud  singing  of  the  high  notes  destroys 


MUSICAL  EXPRESSION 


99 


not  only  the  rhythm,  but  the  poetry  and  the  effect. 
By  taking  care  to  get  it  sung  as  follows  : — 


^m 


a 


HHim 


:c 


ite 


=W: 


And     with  His  stripes        we    are       heal 


ed, 


the  passionate  grief  and  artistic  beauty  of  it  are 
preserved.  Scores  of  similar  examples  might  be 
given,  but  these  must  suffice,  with  the  remark 
that  constant  watchfulness  is  required  to  keep  the 
rhythm  well  defined. 

Rule  2  is  an  effective  corrective  to  the  popular 
notion  that  rhythm  is  merely  the  giving  of  a  strong 
accent  at  the  beginning  of  every  bar.  This  is 
perfectly  true  in  theory ;  but  if  the  accents  are 
struck  remorselessly  with  metronomic  regularity 
they  become  an  irritation,  and  produce  an  effect 
similar  to  that  caused  by  the  recurring  jolt  of  a 
tram,  or  the  whirr  of  machinery. 

Of  course  there  are  certain  pieces  and  declamatory 
choruses,  such  as  "  He  gave  them  hailstones " 
(Israel)  and  "O!  never,  never,  bow  we  down " 
(Judas)  in  which  this  persistent  accentuation  is 
necessary.  But  even  these  strenuous  choruses  must 
be  regarded  as  merely  passing  contrasts  to  other 
movements,  to  which  they  act  as  agreeable  foils. 

Generally  the  rule  of  securing  variety  in  accent 
must  be  followed,  and  care  must  be  taken  not  to 
get  a  monotonous  rhythm  : — 


m 

*3 


IGfc 


:ct 


i3 


^z 


=P=--= 


dim. 


m 


:c£ 


ioo  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

Here  we  have  quite  a  variety  of  forms  of  accent  in 
the  eight  bars,  which  may  be  said  to  consist  of  two 
one-bar  rhythms,  a  single  two-bar  rhythm,  and  a 
rinal  four-bar  rhythm. 

The  next  two  examples  are  taken  from  Elijah: — 


mm 


ist  Tenor. 


tf 


*: 


-rr 


- 


■w-ttz 


I   !/      *  • 


^ 


Baal,  we     cry      to  thee, Baal,  we     cry     to  thee, hear 
2nd  Tenor. 


and 


* 


^ 


=t=P 


:*=*: 


Baal,  we     cry     to  thee, Baal,  we     cry     to  thee, hear        and 
1  st  Bass. 


mr 


EE 


QEEEE^E 


=*=^ 


Baal,  we     cry      to  thee,  Baal,  we       cry    to  thee,   hear.,  and 
2nd  Bass.  


i^E=§^?g 


^ 


=^« 


IS-i — 1- 


-*-*- 


Baal,  we     cry      to  thee,  Baal,  we       cry    to  thee,   hear.,  and 


>  r\  "'*>    f& 


swer      us ! 


$ 


3CC 


swer     us ! 


Wl  irr-'f- 


=tz: 


swer         us ! 


3^ 


._< *- 


an 


swer        us  1 


MUSICAL   EXPRESSION 


IOI 


S 


Soprano. 


Alto. 


2  bars. 


2  bars. 


£ 


i— o_ 


~ct 


•M      0- 


:cr 


i 


Tenor. 


Hear         us,     Baal, 


hear,  might  -  y      God  ! 


S 


Bass. 


/ 


-m— i — e 


P 


Hear         us,     Baal, 


hear,  might  -  y      God  ! 


BaaT      ! 


4  6ars. 

zzm 


-jz-- 


an  -  swer     us  ! 


i 


^— d — ^p=: 


^3"- 


BaaT 


@ 


fc 


O       an  -  swer     us  I 

— 1 Z=Z 


The  markings  will  show  how  varied  are  the 
rhythmic  phrases. 

It  is  surprising  how  long  the  regular  current  of 
accents  can  be  interrupted — say,  at  a  prolonged 
crescendo, — if  only  a  well-defined  accent  restores 
the  rhythmic  swing. 

Innumerable  other  examples  could  be  quoted  of 
the  fine  artistic  effect  of  this  element  of  variety, 
but  I  will  only  mention  the  opening  phrase  of 
Blest  Pair  of  Sirens  (where  we  have  two  two-bar 
rhythms    followed    by    a    four- bar    rhythm),    the 

a:ita  Barbara  state  colleee  libra 

3  S~o&% 


102  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

opening  of  Elgar's  "Lullaby,"  and  "The 
Marksman"  (Bavarian  Highlands),  where  the  same 
thing  occurs.  In  the  last-named  stirring  piece, 
delightful  changes  of  variation,  from  one-bar  to 
eight-bar  rhythms,  occur  all  through. 

With  the  above  suggestions  the  alert  conductor 
will  not  have  much  difficulty  in  devising  a  scheme 
of  varied  rhythms  for  each  composition.  In  addition 
to  the  variety  secured  by  Rule  2,  a  great  deal  of 
monotony  can  be  avoided  by  the  application  of 
Rule  3. 

Except  in  a  few  choruses  like  "He  gave  them 
hailstones,"  and  "Have  lightnings  and  thunders  in 
clouds  disappeared"  (Bach),  the  dynamic  accent 
can  be  modified  by  the  swell,  which  converts  the 
hard  pulsation  to  an  emotional  throb.  Further,  so 
long  as  the  feeling  of  signature  rhythm  is  preserved, 
the  crest  of  the  accent  need  not  come  on  the  first 
part  of  the  first  beat.  As  an  illustration  of  Rules  3 
and  4,  take  the  well-known  air  "  Kathleen 
Mavourneen,"  as  sung  by  a  well-known  great 
artist: — 


r£&-J  Jj  rr  ^m-8 


_l>_»_t_ 

12  3  4! 


12345       0         12345       6         12345       8        123458 
Kath  -  leen  Ma  -  vour  -  neen,  a  -  wake    from  thy  slumbers, 

Here,  instead  of  a  mere  accent  on  the  first  beat 
there  is  a  gentle  pressure  on  the  first  quaver 
and  a  swell  to  the  second,  then  a  shading  off. 
In  bar  2  variety  is  secured  and  the  emotion 
heightened  by  the  swell  being  continued  to  the 
end  of  the  third  quaver.  In  bar  3  the  climax  is 
reached  by  continuing  the  swell  for  four  quavers 
before  shading  to  a  soft  finish. 


MUSICAL   EXPRESSION 


103 


It  will  be  observed  that  the  phrase  consists  of  a 
four-bar  rhythm  made  up  of  two  incidental  one-bar 
rhythms  and  a  two-bar  rhythm.  The  next  quotation 
is  a  fine  illustration  of  varied  accent  pattern:  — 


Brahms,  Requiem. 


^i=*: 


£ 


BE 


\r- 


1 


How    love    -    ly 


are  .  .     Thy    dwell  -  ings     fair, 
4  bars. 


* 


-&- 


l>V-U==3 


#=ft 


s 


Lord    ....       of    Hosts,      O     Lord        of      Hosts. 
3  bars.  I  2  bars. 


It    may  be    regarded  as    a    compound    nine-bar 
rhythm  phrase — as  no  two  accents  are  alike. 

In  working  to  a  climax  of  a  phrase  or  of  a 
movement  (Rule  5),  life,  power,  and  vigour  are 
imparted  by  seeming  to  exaggerate  the  accents  at 
the  very  end.  As  examples  take  the  runs  in  "  For 
unto  us "  and  "  Why  do  the  nations,"  and  an 
excerpt  from  The  Veil  (Cowen)  : — 

mf 


±£ 


feE^^^E^ 


104  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


r 


^E 


£=£= 


thing  ?  Why     do    the  na  -  tions  rage 


m 


Allegro  vivace. 


Mi 


Cowen,  The  Veil. 


■f^'-r* 


a=a 


|lLJ.iH^-^g 


O      Spi  -  rit  di  -  vine Come 


and 


Is 


T^-r 


bless,  come     and       bless 

A         ///A  ^ 


of 


The      flower 


-G--—T- 


the 


world. 


Many  soloists  fail  in  bravura  passages  like  the 
above  by  not  attending  to  these  final  stimulating, 
action-quickening  accents. 

Many  conductors  of  choirs  also  neglect  this 
important  point,  and  the  choruses  fall  flat,  whereas 
if  the  runs  be  ended  with  marked  accent  a  thrill 
invariably  follows.  Another  example  is  the 
following  passage  from  "  For  unto  us  "  : — 


^5^^^##!$ 


■m 


>  - 


3==t 


*-^ 


ten. 

and  the  gov-ern-ment  shall  be  upon  His  shoul     -     -    -    der, 


MUSICAL   EXPRESSION 


105 


It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  when  at  the  fff 
end  of  a  massive  chorus  you  seem  to  have 
reached  the  limit  of  force,  and  still  more  power  is 
wanted,  the  emphatic  accent,  by  its  nerve-rousing 
stimulus,  produces  the  desired  effect. 

With  respect  to  Rule  6,  it  should  be  said  that 
all  departures  from  the  regular  and  conventional, 
whether  in  accent,  tempo,  voice,  or  treatment, 
should  be  carried  out  boldly  whenever  musical  or 
dramatic  reasons  call  for  such  special  treatment. 
Hence  syncopated  passages  like  the  following  : — 


^ 


L 


^ 


-to. 


Beethoven,  Mass  in  D. 


3=t 


=t=r 


£^ 


p 


d£ 


Jpl.        .&-  A. 


men,    et 


V         &- 


-F       gj>- 


vi  -  tam     ven   -   tu 


ri         sae 


cu  -  li.      A  - 


M 


Handel,  Messiah. 


I 


And      cast 


way 


.    their    yokes  .  .  from 


io6  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


Parry,  King  Saul. 


m 


t  -*"k  r  u  4*. 


Saul  hath  slain  his  thousands, 


'f^J^ 


Da  -    vid       his 


m 


:'-f 


£ 


ff'. 


S 


ae* 


e±4: 


2 


^F^ 


^3 


E 


ten       thou-sands, 


etc. 


require  incisive  attack. 

In  carrying  out  Rule  7,  to  make  every  part  clear 
it  will  be  necessary  to  emphasise  each  important 
accent,  whether  regular  or  syncopated,  and 
to  soften  the  voice  immediately,  so  as  to  allow 
the  accent  of  the  next  voice  to  be  heard.  To 
get  my  choirs  to  realise  and  accomplish  this 
difficult  feat,  I  compare  it  with  expert  football, 
where,  as  soon  as  a  player  has  had  his  short 
passing-kick,  he  gets  out  of  the  way  to  allow 
his  colleague  to    make   his   kick   effective.     The 


MUSICAL    EXPRESSION 


107 


following  marked  examples  will  illustrate  this  point 
clearly: — 


And  the  ran-  som'dof        the  Lord 


Brahms,  Requiem. 


■      i  -  = wo — =pz _. v.  ,.  ,i  1 


And        the    ran  -  som'd  of    the    Tord 
And  .  .  the  ran -som'dof  .  .   .  the  Lord        -^ 


//, 


fP 


fP, 


mSgp^n^jsJ 


:iJ. 


^ 


@*fc=: 


s 


And  the   ransom' d 

"  Amen  "  from  Messiah. 
fP  cres. 


men, 


etc. 


Elgar,  "  The  Marksman  "     {Bavarian  Highlands). 
come,  come,  come  from  the  mountain 

s/P  > 


i 


s/p 


■**■- 


-&-~ 


TMzzSi 


"zetc. 


1    ■     w    1 1      r     1/  •  'i 

play  we    our     part,  .   .    come  from  the    inoun  -  tain   side 


io8  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


The  stimulating  effect  of  a  crescendo  on  a 
sustained  note  or  reiterated  notes  is  ample  apology 
for  the  temporary  disturbance  of  the  regular  flow 
of  accents — strong,  weak,  medium,  &c. — while  the 
crescendo  is  often  wonderfully  effective,  as  is  shown 
by  the  following  examples  : — 


Handel,  Samson. 


i 


h 


P=P=-g_ f.  r   r 

L_ 1 ,_ 


:a: 


Eff^ 


itzzzt: 


etc. 


Let      their  ce   -   les  -  tial   con-certs    all 


Handel,  Messiah. 


Lar ghetto. 


*±$y¥=$-b=Skk 


etc. 


Blessing  and  honour,  glo-ry  and  pow'r,  be  un-to  Him.be    un-to      Him 
Allegro  vivace.  Elgar,  The  Marksman. 


Come  from  the  moun-tain  side,  Come  from  the    val  -leys  wide. 

Parry,  Blest  Pair  of  Sirens. 


t 


-£■ 


& 


^3 T3 


m ts  —  g — 


end    -    less   morn    of         light, 


in      end  -  less 


i 


-£= 


33: 


n 


F=0 


etc. 


morn        of       light,     .     .     . 

This    fine   composition  contains   a   great   many 
effective  examples  of  this  point. 


MUSICAL   EXPRESSION 


109 


Rule  10  calls  for  special  attention  on  account 
of  the  frequent — nay,  excessive — introduction  of 
tripletted  notes  in  the  scores  of  modern  composers. 

Generally  when  they  are  introduced  against 
duplets  they  should  be  given  supremacy,  because 
when  they  lack  this  distinction  obscurity  often 
results.  This  is  why  the  vocal  cadenza  near  the 
end  of  the  Choral  Symphony  (Beethoven)  is  so 
unsatisfactory  even  when  sung  by  singers  of  the 
first  rank. 

The  two  examples  which  follow  illustrate  how 
similar  passages  should  be  sung  : — 


Though  he     fall, 


m 


9  a   « 


/ 


Si 


m 


Parry,  King  Saul. 
he  shall  not  be    ut  -  ter  -  ly 


3E 


m 


Thougl 
I 


ihe      fall,         ThouShhe 


:* 


Sss 


cast 


a  -  way, 
N 


cast 


& 


Ms 


f? 


a -way, 


r?-Jt    J>  \ 

g  I  g •— g 


21 


fall, 


he  shall  not  be  ut-ter-ly    cast        a  -wiy, 


though  he      fall, 


he       shall  not  be    ut  -ter-  ly 


etc. 


Though  he    fall, 


though  he      fall 


no  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


my      hope 


Brahms,  Requiem  (Novello's  edition). 
crescendo  molto. 

is   in     Thee,      ...     in 


a     '  >   i    i     i  3     i        <•* \  i       i 

■ffA=^I^AA4A^S=====^s 

'  L\       r-8     .^3     ■ 


hope 
hope 


in  Thee, 

is     in      Thee, 


is .  .  in 
my 


LAJZ^j, 


hope 
Thee, 


is  in  Thee,     .     .     .  yea,  my 

my        hope      .      ...    is  ..     in 


etc. 


^   .y;  as 


hope 


is       in        Thee, 


yea,    my 


THE    DYNAMICS   OF    EXPRESSION. 

Having  dealt  with  this  important  adjunct  of 
musical  expression — rhythm — we  can  now  consider 
what  is  generally  associated  with  and  regarded  as 
the  chief  factor  in  musical  expression,  namely,  the 
artistic  application,  regulation,  and  modification  of 
the  amount  of  tonal  and  emotional  force  required 
to   secure   a   desired   interpretation   of  a   musical 


THE  DYNAMICS  OF  EXPRESSION   in 

composition.  The  colour  palette  from  which  the 
conductor  may  draw  his  varied  shadings  may  be 
said  to  comprise  the  swell ;  the  crescendo ;  the 
diminuendo;  stress  pressures;  sforzandos — in  fact 
all  degrees  of  force  from  pianissimo  to  fortissimo ; 
marked  entries ;  imitative  passages ;  antiphonal 
effects ;  the  dovetailing  of  parts  and  phrases ; 
attack  and  release  ;  variation  of  tempo,  such  as 
accelerando,  rallentando,  tempo  rubato,  and  the 
pause;  shortening  and  lengthening  individual  notes 
as  in  staccato  and  tenuto ;  management  of  sustained 
notes  ;  working  to  a  climax  whether  of  fortissimo  or 
pianissimo ;  characterization  by  means  of  variation 
of  tone-quality  and  facial  expression,  as  in  the 
laugh,  the  sob,  the  jeer,  the  shriek ;  onomatopoetic 
effects,  such  as  the  howling  of  the  storm,  the 
soughing  of  the  wind,  bringing  out  the  meaning  of 
special  words,  the  booming  or  tinkling  of  bells ; 
diction  and  rhetorical  accents  of  words ;  sudden 
contrasts  of  force  and  mood;  and  the  strengthening 
or  weakening  of  parts,  so  as  to  secure  due 
prominence  to  the  principal  theme,  or  to  avoid 
undue  obtrusion  of  subordinate  parts.  As  most  of 
the  above  attributes  of  expression  are  governed  by 
the  line  of  beauty,  and  as  this  is  referable  to  the 
curve  of  the  sound,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  swell 
is  the  basis  of  most  of  the  dynamic  and  emotional 
aspects  of  light  and  shade  embodied  in  the  above 
catalogue  of  possible  constituents  of  the  tonal 
colour-box. 


ii2  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

THE    SWELL. 

From  an  emotional  aspect  the  swell  is  paramount. 
The  unbroken  swell  may  be  short,  as  when  confined 
to  a  single  note  or  phrase,  or  may  extend  for 
quite  a  long  period.  It  may  begin  and  stop 
at  any  point.  The  crescendo  may  be  regarded 
as  the  first  part  of  a  swell,  the  decrcsccndo  as  the 
latter  part.  The  connection  of  most  points  of 
expression  with  the  swell  will  be  shown  as  the 
subject  unfolds.  It  may  therefore  be  laid  down 
that  the  management  of  the  swell  is  the  basis  of 
musical  expression.  With  this  axiom  in  mind,  let 
me  say  that  the  emotional  effect  is  nearly  always  in 
proportion  to  the  breadth  of  the  design.  The  span 
of  a  large  railway  viaduct  is  more  impressive  than 
the  arch  of  a  small  bridge.  The  span  of  St.  Pancras 
Station  excels  in  effect  the  curve  of  the  top  of  a 
railway  carriage,  while  the  rainbow  transcends  both. 
In  like  manner  the  long,  majestic  swell,  crescendo, 
which  leads  up  to  a  grand  climax  is  more  over- 
powering than  the  short  crescendo,  and  the  prolonged 
swell  on  a  sustained  sound  is  more  thrilling  than 
the  gentle  increase  of  power  which  should  be  used 
to  give  interest  to  every  note.  With  these 
preliminary  remarks,  we  will  now  consider 
expression  in  detail,  and  show  the  application  of  the 
theory  as  the  subject  unfolds.  Although  the  swell 
is  the  basis  of  expression,  it  cannot  be  used 
indiscriminately.  Great  care  must  be  exercised  to 
use  it  aright.  At  the  final  chord  of  a  piece  a 
perfect  curve  of  sound  may  be  used  with  good 
taste,  as  in  Brahms's  Requiem  (pp.  55,  93 
and  96,  Novello),  because  there  the  swell 
is    not    subject    to    comparison ;    but     in     other 


THE   SWELL  113 

cases  the  curve  of  sound  must  be  usually 
slightly  irregular  to  meet  the  artistic  dictum  that 
beauty  of  form  is  something  tiearly  symmetrical 
— except  it  be  as  a  point  of  comparison  with  an 
adjacent  curve.  I  recently  heard  a  conductor 
rehearsing  an  amorous  part-song,  and  the  following 
is  an  exact  reproduction  of  the  expression  used  : — 


every  phrase  an  exaggerated  swell,  each  exactly  like 
the  other. 

Well  might  Sir  Arthur  Sullivan  stop  the  choir 
at  a  Leeds  Festival  rehearsal  when  a  specimen  of 
this  kind  of  expression  cropped  up,  and  say : 
"  Please,  let  us  have  no  more  of  that  accordion 
expression."  I  know  some  singers  who  ever  since 
that  time  have  contemptuously  referred  to  a  swell 
as  "  accordion  expression,"  thereby  showing  their 
limited  outlook.  It  was  not  that  Sir  Arthur 
condemned  the  swell ;  it  was  the  recurrence  of  the 
same  pattern  over  and  over  again  to  which  he 
objected.  In  his  own  compositions  some  of  the 
finest  effects  possible  are  due  to  the  well-regulated 
swell,  as  I  shall  show  later. 

As  examples  of  perfect  curves  of  sounds 
contrasted  with  other  perfect  curves,  thereby 
realising  diversity  in  unity,  we  may  take  : — 

Gerontius,  last  bar,  page  116. 
The  Kingdom,    "Let    his    habitation    be    deso- 
late," &c. 
A  talanta  in  Calydon,  page  30. 
Brahms's  Requiem. 


ii4  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


espress. 


m 


dim. 


Elgar,  Gerontius. 


33 


v   d 


ZGtJ=£Z 


Kjrr 


$ 


3 


should  flesh 


and  blood      re 


pine 


£3^* 


&±- 


t=±z 


wi  -  sest  love ! 

PP      — « 


etc. 


Chorus.  Soprano 


Elgar,  TA«  Kingdom. 


and  let  no  man  dwell  there-in, 
dim. 


and  his  of -flee  let  .  .  an  - 


El 


O 


o 


ther       take. 


ist  Choir.  Soprano. 

4IH 


Bantock,  Atalanta  in  Calydon. 


3rd  Choir.  Soprano. 


-?-* 


Mf 


3^ 


3=i 


fc 


5th  Choir.  Soprano. 


/ow 


Sows, 


nrtr  ~  ^?— iM»-i^i^^ 


S^?=fe^Si^ 


He       weaves     .     .      and  is  cloth  d  with  de-  ri  -  sion 


THE   SWELL 


"5 


1 


±z=S^E 


tmmmm 


He        weaves 

f       dim.  V 

j    , • 


£=3=1 


and  he  shall    not 


reap, 


H 


p^^^^m 


mm 


and  is  cloth  'd  with  de-ri-  sion 


Though  short  swells  may  be  symmetrical  curves 
of  sound,  long  swells  are  usually  parabolic.  Two 
fine  illustrations  of  this  are  afforded  in  "  Since  by 
man,"  and  "  As  in  Adam "  (Messiah)  (see 
page  126),  and  "Open  the  heavens,"  and  "Then 
hear  from  heaven"  (Elijah)  (see  pages  126,  127), 
which  emphasise  the  dual  points  of  securing 
something  nearly  symmetrical  and  the  avoidance 
of  repetition  of  mathematical  regularity. 

THE    LINE    OF    BEAUTY.       ARRANGING    CRISES. 

The  fourth  and  fifth  rules  laid  down  in  the 
preceding  pages  say  that  we  must  always  go  from 
somewhere  to  somewhere  else.  That  is,  we  must 
have  as  an  objective  a  climax  of  some  sort,  and  we 
must  proceed  to  this  by  the  "  line  of  beauty." 


n6  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

One  of  the  mistakes  of  some  conductors  and 
composers  is  to  be  always  itching  for  a  grand 
climax  every  two  or  three  bars.  They  ignore  the 
fact  that  the  larger  the  design  the  nobler  the  effect. 
Restraint  is  what  is  often  needed.  The  conductor 
should  fix  his  mind  on  what  is  to  be  the  grand 
climax,  and  work  steadily  up  to  that,  though  not 
in  a  hurried  manner.  But  the  question  arises, 
How  is  the  interest  in  a  piece  to  be  sustained  until 
the  climax  is  reached  ?  The  answer  is,  Follow  the 
"  line  of  beauty."  This  may  be  defined  as  giving 
an  ebb  and  flow  of  sound  to  each  note  or  series  of 
notes,  and,  while  passing  through  a  series  of 
cumulative  crises,  so  varying  the  curve  of  sound 
as  never  to  repeat  the  same  design,  and  always 
keeping  in  view  the  consummation  of  the  whole  in 
the  final  bars. 

This  working  for  and  achieving  well-planned 
crises  is  of  immense  importance  to  a  conductor. 
It  is  part  of  that  "  thinking  in  continents  "  spoken 
of  in  a  previous  chapter.  Handel  owes  a  great 
part  of  his  popularity  to  this  feature.  He  proceeds 
from  the  simple  to  the  complex  in  regular  sequence 
in  most  of  his  choruses.  The  crises  follow  each 
other  in  ascending  ratio  until  the  final  effort  carries 
the  conviction  that  the  end  has  really  been  reached. 
Sir  Charles  Santley,  of  all  the  singers  I  know,  is 
the  one  who  owes  most  to  this  great  gift  of 
arranging  crises.  If  the  thousands  who  have  heard 
him  will  look  back  and  analyse  the  impression  of 
his  singing,  they  will  find  that  he  seemed  all  the  time 
to  be  rising  to  something, — that  figuratively  he  was 
always  coming  towards  you  with  increasing  power, 
and  that  his  arrangement  of  the  crises  of  his  song 
or  aria  was  always  artistically  correct. 


THE   SWELL 


117 


This  arranging  of  crises  must  be  carefully 
planned  by  the  conductor,  and  he  might,  for 
private  use,  do  this  graphically  by  means  of 
curves,  to  see  that  he  gets  variety  as  well  as 
interest  in  each  phrase.  For  instance,  he  may 
wish  to  arrive  at  a  climax  at  the  end  of,  say, 
one  hundred  bars.  He  will  have  to  study  the 
words  and  the  form  of  the  music,  discover  which 
points  can  be  emphasised  in  the  unfolding  of  the 
scheme  of  expression,  and  then  sketch  it  out  as 
follows : — 

Climax. 


Climax. 


P 


if 


Pp\ 


The  conductor  must  bear  in  mind  that  there 
are  many  right  ways  of  performing  a  piece,  and 
though,  as  a  rule,  the  place  of  the  climax  is 
usually  clearly  defined,  the  sectional  crises  are  not 
obvious ;  therefore  great  latitude  is  allowed  in 
fixing  these,  always  provided  the  "line  of  beauty" 
is  followed. 


n8  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

For    instance,    in    a    given   piece    each    of    the 
following  plans  would  be  correct : — 


It  will  be  seen  that  they  both  reach  the  same 
point,  but  with  variation  between  the  start  and  the 
finish.  This  explains  why  Joachim  seldom  played 
a  solo  twice  in  the  same  manner.  There  was 
always  the  same  ebb  and  flow  of  sound,  always  the 
same  sense  of  appropriate  variety  of  treatment,  but 
never  a  cast-iron  interpretation.  Similarly,  Madame 
Clara  Butt  says  she  never  professes  to  sing  a  song 
twice  exactly  alike.  She  is  swayed  by  the  feeling  of 
the  moment;  but  if  she  sings  rather  more  loudly 
here,  and  softer  there,  than  she  did  at  a  previous 
rendering,  the  audience  are  quite  satisfied,  because 
the  charm  of  the  artistic  variety  and  good  taste 
are  evident.  Most  singers,  as  well  as  the  general 
public,  who  knew  Sims  Reeves,  place  him  as  the 
most  consummate  artist  in  phrasing  ever  before 
the  public ;  and  yet  he  varied  his  renderings 
according  to  his  mood.  This  opens  another 
question,  namely,  the  correctness  of  one  artist 
singing  a  phrase  loudly,  and  another  artist  singing 
the  same  phrase  softly.  Both  the  artists  may  be 
correct,  because  many  phrases  are  open  to  two 
interpretations.     For  example,  take  the  words : — 

(a)  "  Why  art  thou  cast  down,  O  my  soul." 

(b)  "  Yea !  Though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of 

the  shadow  of  death." 


THE  SWELL  119 

The  first  example  may  be  treated  in  a  reflective 
manner,  in  which  case  it  would  be  sung  piano ;  or 
it  may  be  sung  in  a  confident,  defiant  way,  when  it 
would  be  declaimed  fortissimo ;  and  (b)  could  be 
sung  as  full  of  awe,  or  as  an  expression  of  joyful 
assurance.  "  O  !  horror !  "  might  be  whispered  as 
embodying  chilling  terror,  or  shrieked  as  the  out- 
come of  ungoverned  frenzy.  A  striking  example  of 
this  contrasted  treatment  of  the  same  words  and 
music  was  afforded  at  two  performances  of 
Gerontius,  both  conducted  by  the  composer,  at 
which  I  was  present.     The  phrase — 


i 


=t«=tz= 


£=E=:E£=etc- 


Thee,      in  Thine     own   .  .  ag   -  o  -  ny    .    .    . 

was  sung  by  an  eminent  artist  fortissimo,  as  marked, 
while  at  the  second  performance  a  still  greater 
artist  sang  it  pianissimo. 

With  this  fact  in  mind  it  will  be  seen  that  there 
is  little  need  to  have  two  phrases  sung  alike.  A 
phrase  which  might  have  been  sung  softly  may, 
through  being  preceded  by  a  soft  phrase,  be  sung 
loudly  without  injuring  the  sense.  This  apparent 
contradiction  is  explained  by  the  fact  that  it  is 
viewed  from  a  different  standpoint  by  different 
artists.  Again,  in  many  phrases  it  does  not  matter 
whether  they  begin  softly  and  end  loudly,  or 
vice  versa,  as  long  as  they  dovetail  artistically. 

This  power  of  varying  the  form  of  expression, 
while  keeping  strictly  within  the  line  of  artistic 
propriety,  is  in  my  judgment  one  of  the  attributes 
of  an  artist.  Therefore  conductors  should  not  be 
afraid  of   following  what  they  consider  to  be  the 


120  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

true  interpretation  of  a  piece,  although  it  may  not 
always  follow  conventional  lines;  but  let  each 
change  be  well  thought  out,  not  adopted  from  mere 
caprice.  If  the  interpretation  is  prompted  by  brain, 
and  carried  through  with  mastery,  whatever  else  the 
conductor  may  make  he  will  not  make  a  failure. 

Nevertheless,  with  all  the  latitude  of  choice 
which  a  conductor  has,  it  must  not  be  taken  for 
granted  that  it  is  hardly  possible  to  go  wrong.  If 
he  thinks  that,  he  is  sure  to  make  a  mistake.  And 
it  is  conductors  endowed  with  temperament,  and 
those  who  have  a  feeling  for  expression,  who 
are  most  likely  to  go  wrong  unless  their  natural 
impulse  is  trained  and  kept  under  control  by  a 
course  of  severe  discipline. 

These  temperamental  people  feel  that  monotony 
is  unendurable,  and  they  try  to  introduce  variety 
without  knowing  the  true  principles  of  artistry. 
Hence  they  often  put  an  accent  or  crescendo  or 
staccato  in  the  wrong  place  ;  and  when  this  happens 
we  get  an  effect  like  that  of  a  dab  of  red  on  an 
actor's  nose  instead  of  on  his  cheeks. 

Of  many  instances  of  this  kind  I  will  mention 
only  two.  When  adjudicating  at  a  National 
Eisteddfod  in  Wales,  a  choir  came  forward  to  render 
Mendelssohn's  "Come,  let  us  sing."  The  occasion 
being  an  important  one,  the  conductor  thought  the 
choir  must  do  something  out  of  the  ordinary.  And 
it  did.     The  chorus  commences  with  the  rhythm: — 

The  choir  sang  : — 

>.  »  !•  [  *  »  i 

Come,    let    us     sing,      Come,  let    us     sing. 


THE  SWELL  121 

This  had  such  a  disturbing  effect  that  all  the  judges 
looked  up  in  amazement,  and  for  a  moment  could 
not  understand  what  was  being  done.  Then  we 
realised  that  to  give  emphasis  to  the  word  "  us," 
they  had  changed  the  rhythm  entirely,  making  it 
duple  time,  as  though  written — 

Come,   let       us       sing,  .   .  Come,   let       us       sing.  .   . 

which,  it  will  be  seen,  produces  quite  a  lopsided 
effect. 

The  next  example  was  at  a  concert  which  I 
attended,  to  oblige  a  friend,  on  purpose  to  hear  a 
singer  full  of  musical  feeling.  He  sang  "  Maid  of 
Athens,  ere  we  part "  in  rhapsodic  fashion,  as 
became  the  sentiment  of  the  song,  but  unfortunately, 
in  his  fervour,  he  made  a  travesty  of  the  expression 
by  putting  swells,  staccatos,  &c,  in  wrong  places, 
something  like  this  : — 

st\  accel.        ten.  r^  , 

— Zjszft  I     1        .S  1 S±— 


J^g-ZJ]  I  ■  r  Fs^g^ 


Maid  of  Athens,  ere  we  part,         Give,  Oh  give  me  back  my  heart 

A  newspaper  reporter  seeing  me  present  came  and 
inquired  whether  it  was  a  comic  song.  I  said  that 
originally  it  was  not,  but  I  would  ascertain  the 
singer's  idea.  When  a  friend  remarked  that  he  had 
never  heard  such  a  rendering  before,  the  singer, 
taking  it  as  a  compliment,  said,  with  conscious 
pride,  that  he  tried  to  put  his  soul  into  it ;  and  he 
still  recalls  that  effort  as  a  triumph,  quoting  his 
friend's  words  as  testimony.  The  moral  of  all  this 
is,  Study  well  the  principles  of  expression  before 
attempting  any  new  departures. 


122  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

THE    CLIMAX. 

Stress  has  been  laid  upon  reaching  the  climax 
by  well-ordered  and  consistent  steps ;  but  as 
the  climax  itself  is  the  great  thing,  we  must 
give  adequate  importance  to  it  when  it  is 
reached. 

As  a  rule  it  should  be  treated  with  breadth, 
dignity,  and  power.  Care  must  be  taken  to 
approach  its  culmination  soon  encugh  to  enable  it 
to  be  held  sufficiently  long  to  be  impressive,  and 
when  it  has  been  reached  it  must  not  degenerate  into 
an  anti-climax  by  weakness  of  voice,  insufficiency 
of  breath,  or  failure  to  bear  the  strain. 

Here  comes  in  the  value  of  (a)  arranging  the 
breathing  places  so  as  to  have  plenty  of  breath  for 
the  last  bar,  (b)  breath  pressure  sufficient  to  enable 
the  choir  to  put  on  extra  power  for  the  supreme 
effort,  and  (c)  emphasising  the  words  as  a  final 
stimulus  to  the  feelings  of  the  audience.  Remember 
that  a  fine  peroration  will  cover  a  multitude  of 
weak  places  in  the  preceding  parts. 

It  should  be  noted  that  the  effects  of  climax 
depend  very  largely  upon  their  surroundings.  If, 
by  the  antecedent  phrases  being  too  loudly  played 
or  sung,  the  sense  of  cumulative  effort  has  been 
destroyed,  the  climax  fortissimo  distresses  the  rather 
jaded  nerves  instead  of  rousing  them. 

Table  Mountain  is  not  very  high,  but  on  account 
of  its  surroundings  it  is  very  impressive.  Thus 
conductors  must  be  mindful  of  the  context,  and 
take  care  not  to  fire  off  all  their  ammunition 
too  soon.  In  preparing  for  a  climax  I  always 
remember  Wolfe's  direction  at  Quebec — "Don't 
fire  until  you  see  the  whites  of  your  enemies'  eyes." 


THE  CLIMAX 


123 


The  wisdom  of  reserving  your  force  till  you  can 
strike  with  effect  is  seen  in  : — 

"O  we  cannot"  {Golden  Legend,  page  3) — 


3    4 


1/ 


1 


^*-v 


B^Tzd 


Here  a  rapid  spasmodic  crescendo  on  the  fifth  and 
sixth  beats  is  required  to  depict  despairing  rage. 

"God  sent    His   messenger"    (Golden  Legend, 
page  136)— 


Shine 


Here  a  pronounced  crescendo  with  breath  pressure 
is  needed  on  the  third  beat  to  lead  to  the  real 
fortissimo  on  the  first  beat  of  the  second  bar.  It  is 
this  which  gives  the  thrill. 

A  further  illustration  may  be  found  in  : — 
"His  yoke  is  easy"  (Messiah,  page  154). 


124  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

COLOURS    ON    THE    CONDUCTOR'S    PALETTE 

PIANO   AND    PIANISSIMO. 

Having  given  a  general  view  of  the  approach  to 
and  consummation  of  the  climax,  we  will  now  study 
in  detail  the  separate  elements  of  the  colours  on 
the  conductor's  tonal  palette. 

Under  the  heading  of  "Voice"  we  rather 
exhaustively  considered  the  question  of  "  How  to 
obtain  soft  singing  with  maintenance  of  pitch"; 
but  there  are  several  disturbing  elements  not 
touched  upon,  which  demand  serious  attention. 

At  many  final  rehearsals  for  concerts  I  have  been 
delighted  with  the  singers'  splendid  realisation  of 
soul-moving  pianissimos;  but  at  the  concerts  I  have 
been  bitterly  disappointed  at  their  failing  to  do 
what  they  had  done  time  and  again  at  rehearsals. 

I  do  not  say  the  audiences  were  dissatisfied. 
They  were  usually  charmed  at  the  measure  of 
success  attained,  on  the  principle  of  "What  the  eye 
never  sees  the  heart  never  grieves  about";  but  to 
me,  who  had  heard  them  reach  the  ideal,  it  was 
heart-rending  to  note  the  fall  from  an  ethereal 
seventh-heaven  pianissimo  to  one  of  an  ordinary  type. 

Considering  that  most  of  the  choir  are  as 
anxious  to  achieve  success  as  the  conductor,  the 
question  arises,  How  is  it  that  these  lapses  occur? 

In  my  opinion  the  causes  are  three : — 

(i)  The    ever-present    inertia    which    has   been 
previously  mentioned ; 

(2)  The  solicitude  to  be  heard,  coupled  with  the 

nervous  fear  that  unfelt  voice-production 
will  not  carry ; 

(3)  The  law  of  sympathy. 


PIANO  AND  PIANISSIMO  125 

With  respect  to  inertia,  there  are  always  some 
singers  who  yield  to  its  influence,  and  who  do  not 
exercise  will-power  enough  to  force  themselves  to 
put  forth  the  necessary  effort.  To  these  lazy 
ones  constant  attention  must  be  given,  for,  like  the 
poor,  they  are  ever  with  us. 

To  sing  pianissimo  the  voices  must  be  poised  so 
forward,  with  nasal  resonance,  that  the  singers  are 
often  unconscious  of  singing  at  all.  I  ask  them  to 
sing  by  faith,  and  be  content  with  a  sound  which  is 
so  nebulous  as  to  be  almost,  if  not  altogether, 
too  contemptible  to  be  called  singing.  Under  my 
personal  influence  in  rehearsals  this  is  done,  but  at 
concerts  in  a  large  hall  their  lack  of  physical 
sensation  in  the  throat  gives  them  the  idea  that  the 
sound  will  not  carry  a  yard ;  therefore  to  do  their 
duty  they  imagine  they  must  sing  louder.  The 
lesson  of  all  this  to  a  conductor  is  to  train  choristers, 
by  constant  reiteration,  to  differentiate  between  the 
very  slight  physical  sensations  they  feel  in 
rehearsal,  and  the  sensations  they  fancy  they 
ought  to  feel  at  a  concert.  Urge  them  to  sing 
by  faith,  assuring  them  that  if  the  sound  is  only 
a  kind  of  hum  produced  somewhere  near  the  nasal 
cavities  it  will  be  heard,  although  they  may  feel 
doubtful  about  its  carrying  power. 

Respecting  the  third  drawback,  the  "  law  of 
sympathy,"  I  would  observe  that  in  many  cases  it 
is  of  immense  use  in  choral  singing,  because  by  its 
almost  unconscious  influence  choirs  move  by 
common  impulse  to  a  rousing  fortissimo,  or  catch 
the  infection  of  the  dramatic  spirit,  or  realise  the 
subtle  atmosphere  which  pervades  a  piece.  But 
it  is  often  a  serious  handicap  in  pianissimos,  and  in 
cases   where   a    single    part    has    an    independent 


126  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

phrase  or  swell  which  requires  to  be  brought  out 
very  prominently. 

In  a  choir  no  one  lives  or  sings  to  himself. 
Therefore,  when  a  person  sings  a  shade  too 
loudly,  his  neighbour — not  hearing  himself  as 
well  as  he  thinks  he  ought  to  do,  sings  rather 
louder  also,  and  this  singing  a  shade  too  loudly 
spreads  throughout  the  choir.  The  worst  of 
this  is  that  the  singers  having  unconsciously 
fixed  a  standard,  it  is  impossible  to  get  them 
to  the  bewitching  softness  they  have  often  attained 
in  rehearsal. 

The  remedy  for  this  is  to  specialize  for  pianissimo 
at  the  last  rehearsal,  asking  everyone  to  be 
responsible  for  himself  or  herself  at  the  per- 
formance, even  to  cease  singing — as  some  self- 
denying  members  of  my  choir  do — when  they  hear 
other  people  singing  too  loudly. 


ARTISTIC    DISCRIMINATION. 

There  are  certain  phrases  in  pieces  where  it  is 
practically  impossible  for  a  full  choir  to  sing  so 
softly  as  the  ideal  demands.  In  these  cases  I 
usually  ask  half  the  choir  to  sing,  and  balance 
matters  by  asking  the  other  half  to  sing  a  similar 
phrase  later. 

For  instance,  I  have  the  quartets  "  Since  b> 
man,"  and  "  For  as  in  Adam "  (Messiah),  sung 
as  unaccompanied  choruses,  commencing  very 
softly,  and,  after  a  gradual  crescendo  to  forte, 
finishing  equally  softly.  To  achieve  an  ideal 
rendering  I  ask  the  first  voices  of  each  part  to 
commence  the  first  bar  alone,  the  seconds  come  in 
at  the  second  bar,  and  the  whole  choir  sing  till  the 


ARTISTIC  DISCRIMINATION         127 


first  note  of  the  last  bar,  when  the  second  voices 
finish  very  pianissimo : — 

/  = 


Since  by  man  came  death,        since  by  man  came  death, 


jw — — 


EE: 


for     as      in 


Ad    -  am    all        die, 


Take  another  example,  "  Open  the  heavens," 
and  "  Then  hear  from  heaven  "  (Elijah),  which  I 
usually  have  sung  as  follows : — 


& 


&L 


BS 


3SE 


O   -    pen     the    hea  -  vens,  and    send      us       re  -  lief: 


P 


!E&EiE5E=© 


S 


Help,    help    thy      ser 


vant,        now, 


O     God! 


Jb&* 


«/- 


Zt 


3E 


£ 


t=- 


-m m e 


Then     hear  from  heav'n,  and    for   -   give  .    .       the      sin: 

PP 


feE^ 


n — r-1=i    I       p     K 

1 1 — _| — 3 y zr^3^_ 


a 


Help,    send   thy      ser     -     vant,         help,  .  .        O     Lord. 


128  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

The  delicate  close  of  "  On  Himalay  "  (Bantock) 
requires  clear  tone  and  true  pitch,  or  its  poetic 
flavour  is  destroyed.  I  therefore  ask  those 
whose  voices  are  not  of  the  light  soprano  type 
to  deny  themselves  the  pleasure  of  singing  for 
two  bars. 

This  selecting  of  legitimate  means  to  an  end  I 
call  artistic  discrimination.  Note  that  the  doing  of 
this  always  gives  the  conductor  more  trouble  than 
the  usual  plan  of  letting  all  sing ;  but  the  result 
justifies  the  task  of  finding  out  the  phrases  to  be 
treated  exceptionally,  and  the  worry  of  soothing  the 
ruffled  feelings  of  singers  who  are  asked  not  to 
sing  for  a  few  bars. 


NEBULOUS    PIANOS:    EFFECT    OF    CLOSING    BARS. 

The  last  point  in  connection  with  pianissimo  is 
also  related  to  artistic  discrimination.  To  sing 
an  unadulterated  mezzo,  piano,  or  pianissimo  would 
produce  a  weak,  unsatisfactory  effect.  There  may 
be  a  few  cases  where  a  dull,  lifeless  sort  of 
expression  is  required,  but  they  are  very  few.  As 
an  example : — 


The  Queen.  Recit. 

mf  dtdamato ,  ad  lib. 


Mackenzie.  The  Sun-god "s  Return. 


^^^-T^r*yrz£p 


p 


Who     art  thou  that  com  -  est,      'mong  the  dead      the  sole 


£=& 


-$& 


BE  i 


i-V    /    U 


:$*: 


-m 

liv  -  ing  ? 


33 


Sure-ly  thou know'st they  re -turn    not,     That 

V 


pa*s     the    dark 


-M *:z 

riv  -  er? 


:eee 


FORTE  AND  FORTISSIMO  129 

As  a  rule  Weber's  dictum  that  "  a  piano  phrase 
should  contain  &  forte"  is  true. 

It  may  seem  strange  to  introduce  a  mezzo-p,  or 
even  louder,  into  a  passage  marked  piano,  but 
singing  it  softly  throughout — if  it  be  of  any  length 
— would  induce  that  monotony  which  must  be 
avoided  at  all  costs.  Again,  by  the  decrescendo 
from  the  louder  tone  the  hearers  have  a  standard 
of  comparison,  and  as  the  voices  get  softer  and 
softer  the  sense  of  real  pianissimo  is  grasped  by  the 
mind  of  the  listeners  as  the  passage  reaches  its  close, 
because  the  effect  of  the  whole  is  almost  entirely 
governed  by  the  impression  of  the  last  few  bars. 

FORTE   AND    FORTISSIMO. 

There  is  a  general  notion  which  may  be  expressed 
in  the  phrase  "  Take  care  of  the  pianos  and  the 
poundings  will  take  care  of  themselves."  There  is 
an  element  of  truth  in  this,  but,  as  I  have  shown 
in  the  chapter  on  "  Breath  pressure,"  due  attention 
must  be  given  to  the  ways  of  producing  fortissimo,  or 
full  sonority  cannot  be  attained.  In  addition  to  what 
has  been  said,  the  attention  of  the  choir  must  be 
directed  to  getting  anti-throaty,  vibrant  tone,  which 
bears  the  same  relation  to  a  shouting  backward  tone 
as  a  well-trained  athlete  does  to  a  lumbering  navvy. 

The  occasions  when  a  real  fortissimo  can  be  used 
with  proper  artistic  effect  are  comparatively  few ; 
therefore  when  they  do  occur  urge  the  singers  to 
"  knock  sixes." 

CONTRASTS    OF    EFFECT.       IRREGULARITY    OF    LINE. 

From  the  foregoing  it  might  be  inferred  that 
progress  to  a  climax  by  the  line  of  beauty  is  fairly 


130  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

regular — just  a  series  of  curves  and  sounds 
arranged  so  as  to  secure  variety.  In  the  main  this 
is  so,  but  very  frequently  an  episodical  phrase  is 
interpolated  which  quite  breaks  the  formal 
continuity  of  the  ebb  and  flow  to  the  climax. 
Sudden  transitions  from  ff  to  pp  or  vice  versa, 
abrupt  changes  of  tempi,  and  unexpected  changes 
in  sentiment  are  cases  in  point.  These  erratic 
contrasts  are  welcome  changes,  as  they  take  us 
from  the  commonplace  and  introduce  the  romantic 
element.  Music  is  not  always  a  series  of  well-ordered 
lawns  set  out  with  Dutch  precision.  Then, 
at  times,  the  climax  seems  to  be  so  far  away  that 
there  appears  to  be  no  connection  between  what 
you  are  doing  and  the  end  in  view.  Another 
disturbing  element  is  the  obscure,  nondescript, 
neutral  passages  which  are  parenthetically  intro- 
duced without  apparent  reason.  These  things  may 
be  perplexing  and  annoying  to  those  who  want 
things  to  move  on  in  symmetrical  sequence,  but 
they  are  the  elements  which  give  life  and  vigour 
to  expression.  The  mind  revels  in  contrasts.  The 
mountain  peaks  and  deep  gorges  of  sound  tend  to 
picturesque  effects.  If  expression  were  always  in 
unbroken  curves,  however  varied,  we  should  get 
tired  of  the  monotony,  however  beautiful.  The 
obscurity  of  the  other  places  just  satisfies  that 
speculative  bias  which  many  people  have,  and 
which  finds  expression  in  theii  depreciating  things 
that  are  understandable. 

These  little  "  affairs  of  outposts  "  must  be  dealt 
with  sectionally,  each  being  made  as  interesting  as 
possible,  and  treated  as  a  relief  to  the  grand  forward 
movement  to  the  brilliant  finish  which  will  come 
by-and-by. 


CRESCENDO  AND  DIMINUENDO    131 

With  respect  to  the  execution  of  the  sudden 
contrasts  a  word  of  caution  is  necessary.  The 
tendency  is  to  keep  in  the  last  mood  too  long 
through  lack  of  mental  alertness.  As  a  means  to 
stimulate  this  I  always  ask  the  singers  to  mark 
these  places  with  large  ff  and  pp  in  blue  pencil, 
which  they  can  see  long  before  they  reach  the 
place.  These  signs  serve  as  helpful  mnemonics, 
and  usually  produce  the  desired  result.  Examples 
of  these  sudden  changes  are  to  be  found  in  Brahms's 
Requiem  (pages  56,  139,  197,  207),  Verdi's  Requiem 
(pages  22,  27,  35,  87),  The  Wedding  of  Shon  Maclean 
(page  50).  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  in  the 
Requiem  the  same  words  are  sung  both  ff  and  pp. 


THE    CRESCENDO    AND    DIMINUENDO. 

The  crescendo  is  used  to  express  rising  sentiment, 
to  uplift  the  spirit,  and  give  general  vitality  to  the 
music.  It  may  be  regarded  as  the  first — the  rising 
— part  of  an  incomplete  swell.  The  crescendo  may 
proceed  in  ever-growing  force  and  intensity  in 
defiance  of  the  law  of  strong  beats  and  weak  beats, 
until  at  some  point  the  swing  of  the  rhythm  of  the 
piece  be  restored.  Very  frequently  in  emotional 
pieces  the  crescendo  is  made  up  of  a  series  of  smaller 
upward  flights,  as  : — 


The  diminuendo  may  be  regarded  as  the  reverse 
of  the  crescendo  in  respect  to  expression  of  feeling, 


i32  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

and  as  being  the  latter — falling — part  of  the  swell. 
It  may  be  a  continuous  decline,  or  it  may,  cascade- 
like, be  a  series  of  descending  phrases,  as  : — 


Here  we  get  the  feminine  expression  well 
illustrated.  When  singing  a  diminuendo  passage  to 
moving  notes,  the  accent  should  be  delicately  given, 
to  prevent  the  feeling  of  nebulous  uncertainty.  It 
is  by  these  two  elements — crescendo  and  diminuendo 
— that  ebb  and  flow  of  sound  is  secured,  which, 
when  skilfully  managed,  is  comparable  to  a  well- 
planned  garden  whose  mounds  and  banks  seem  to 
melt  into  delightful,  undulating  lawns.  The  highest 
compliment  which  was  paid  to  my  Yorkshire 
choir  when  we  visited  Germany  was  made  at 
Frankfort,  where  a  musician  of  great  influence  said 
that  the  greatest  wonder  to  him  in  the  choir's 
performance  was  not  the  rich  fortissimos  or  the 
delicate  pianissimos,  but  the  way  in  which  the 
three  hundred  voices  seemed  to  swing  from  piano 
to  forte  and  back  again  on  a  single  hair.  This 
treatment  of  the  cres.  and  dim.  is  the  mode)  I 
always  try  to  follow. 

ATTACK. 

I  have  previously  spoken  of  one  aspect  of  attack 
in  the  chapter  on  "  Voice " ;  but  in  addition  to 
striking  difficult  notes  firmly,  there  is  the  firm,  bold, 
reliant  singing  of  whole  phrases — or   through  an 


ATTACK  133 

entire  work — the  absence  of  which  gives  the 
impression  of  lack  of  attack.  A  choir  may  sing 
with  courage  and  good  attack  generally,  but 
sometimes  abnormal  places  are  encountered  which 
seem  to  paralyse  their  efforts.  The  difficulties 
which,  for  a  time,  appal  the  singers  are  those  of 
pitch,  as  in  Beethoven's  Choral  Symphony  and 
Mass  in  D;  abstruse  harmonies  and  difficult 
intervals,  as  in  Sea-Drift,  Omar  Khayyam;  catchy, 
involved  rhythms,  as  in  The  M  aster  sing  er  s ;  great 
speed  of  performance,  where  the  words  cannot 
be  articulated,  as  in  The  Flying  Dutchman;  and 
constant  transitions  to  remote  keys,  as  in  most 
ultra-modern  works. 

Sometimes  the  difficulties  are  so  real  that  there 
is  justification  for  lack  of  confidence  and  some 
excuse  for  bad  attack,  but  at  other  times  the  reasons 
for  taking  fright  are  quite  absurd.  However, 
these  gusts  of  unaccountable  panicky  fear  do  arise, 
and  they  must  be  met  with  coolness  and  tact,  and 
with  as  little  loss  of  time  as  possible.  When  the 
uncertainty  arises  from  real  difficulties  in  the  music, 
the  best  way  is  to  arrange  for  sectional  rehearsals 
for  the  "  nervy "  part — usually  soprano — and  to 
go  over  the  difficulties  for,  say,  twenty  minutes 
until  the  singers  can  feel  the  music.  If  the  difficulty 
be  one  of  pitch,  as  in  Beethoven's  works  or — for  a 
few  bars — in  Go,  song  of  mine  (Elgar),  I  always 
rehearse  these  parts  a  third  lower  in  pitch  until  the 
music  is  grasped,  then  gradually  get  up  to  full 
pitch,  by  which  time  the  dread  of  the  strain  will 
have  disappeared.  But  even  this  is  not  sufficient 
to  exorcise  the  demon  of  doubt  from  a  part; 
therefore  other  plans  are  sometimes  necessary-, 
two  of  which  devices  I  will  mention.     In  special 


134  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

pieces  where  the  chromatic  element  is  very 
pronounced,  and  where  the  leads  are  very 
difficult  to  negotiate,  I  ask  for,  say,  six  volunteers 
from  each  part  who  will  undertake  to  be  like 
Horatius  and  his  two  friends,  and  defend  the 
bridge  until  the  danger  is  past,  or,  like  the 
"  thin  red  line "  at  Inkermann,  hold  disaster 
at   bay. 

A  notable  instance  of  the  need  of  inspiration  in 
the  singers  occurred  when  the  Sheffield  Musical 
Festival  Chorus  first  undertook  to  sing  the  Choral 
Symphony  (Beethoven).  At  rehearsal  after  rehearsal 
the  sopranos  sang  with  an  apologetic  tone  which 
lacked  vim  and  power.  When  they  got  to  the 
very  high  parts  the  singers  looked  at  each  other, 
and  the  infection  of  fear  seemed  to  run  through 
their  ranks.  At  last  I  privately  called  eight  singers 
on  whom  I  thought  I  could  depend,  and  asked 
them  to  learn  the  whole  of  the  music  thoroughly 
and  be  prepared  to  sing  it,  when  called  upon,  with 
courage,  boldness,  and  determination  as  a  pattern 
to  the  whole  choir.  The  next  week  I  invited 
these  eight  ladies  to  come  on  to  the  platform 
and  sing  the  soprano  part,  asking  that  while  the 
remaining  seventy  sopranos  were  silent,  the  whole 
force  of  the  contraltos,  tenors,  and  basses — roughly 
about  two  hundred — would  sing  with  all  their 
power,  the  object  being  to  demonstrate  that  eight 
confident  sopranos  could  be  heard  over  the  whole 
two  hundred  lower  parts. 

Right  nobly  did  these  eight  sopranos  uphold  my 
contention.  They  realised  that  they  were  on  their 
mettle,  and  they  sang  with  decision  and  enthusiasm. 
Their  voices  pealed  above  those  of  their  two  hundred 
opponents,  who  were  singing  for  dear  life.    Everyone 


STACCATO  AND  RELEASE  135 

was  excited,  while  the  silent  sopranos  were  carried 
away  with  surprise  and  admiration.  At  the  close 
the  ladies  received  an  ovation  for  the  victory 
they  had  won,  and  there  was  jubilation  all 
round.  But  they  had  done  more  than  win  an 
individual  victory;  they  had  broken  the  thrall 
of  fear  which  had  held  the  sopranos  in  bondage. 
Henceforth  these  sang  with  courage  and 
splendid  attack,  and  with  such  ease  that  an 
enthusiastic  lover  of  music,  who  had  often  heard 
the  work  at  Festivals,  in  congratulating  me  on 
the  result  said  that  it  was  the  first  performance 
she  had  heard  in  which  her  throat  had  not  ached 
by  reason  of  the  apparent  strain  on  the  voices  of 
the   singers. 

As  a  final  word  on  "  Attack  "  get  your  singers  to 
"  leap  out "  to  meet  your  beat  in  all  cases  of  (a) 
high  notes,  (b)  staccato  notes,  (c)  marked  entries, 
(d)  fugal  entries,  (e)  difficult  and  involved  com- 
binations of  words  and  music. 


STACCATO    AND    RELEASE. 

Montesquieu  says  that  the  true  test  of  a  horse's 
quality  and  training  is  not  in  the  way  he  starts, 
but  the  smartness  with  which  he  stops.  A  similar 
remark  might  be  applied  to  singers,  for  as  a  rule 
the  exact  timing  of  the  release  of  a  note  is  often 
defective,  and  staccato  effects  are  usually  blurred  by 
choralists.  I  have  more  frequently  to  stop  the 
choir  to  correct  ragged  release  than  for  poor 
attack.  Staccato  is  closely  related  to  release  rather 
than  attack,  but  the  sensation  produced  causes  it 
to  be  regarded  generally  under  the  head  of  attack. 
I    find   that   choirs   may   sing   one    or   two   notes 


136  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

staccato,  but  that  they  fail  when  they  get  to  the  third 
note.  This  is  due  in  part  to  the  physical  effort 
required,  but  chiefly  to  the  singers'  fear  of  being 
too  jerky.  Conductors  should  therefore  rehearse 
the  staccato  passage  frequently  to  educate  the 
singers'  mental  and  physical  sensations  as  to  the 
kind  of  effort  required  to  produce  a  good,  recurring 
staccato.  Note  should  be  made  of  the  fact  that 
the  law  of  sympathy  operates  very  largely  and 
beneficently  in  "  attack."  In  "  release  "  some 
singers  stop  too  soon  through  indolence,  while 
inertia  causes  another  section  to  prolong  the  sounds 
unduly. 

Most  people  do  not  know  or  realise  that  there 
are  two  kinds  of  staccato ;  the  short,  detached, 
dramatic,  forceful  or  delicately-crisp,  and  the 
emotional,  which  appears  under  the  semi- staccato 
signs,  but  from  which  it  is  distinct. 

Each  variety  has  its  own  difficulties,  and  must 
be  treated  in  a  different  manner. 

Dealing  first  with  release  at  the  end  of  phrases, 
in  all  places  where  there  is  a  disposition,  through 
inertia,  either  to  curtail  or  to  prolong  the  final 
note,  I  always  ask  the  singers  to  mark  the  end  of 
the  note  with  a  downward  stroke  in  blue  pencil. 
Especially  should  this  be  done  in  cases  like 
the  following,  where  the  parts  do  not  finish 
simultaneously : — 

King  Olaf,  page  17. 

Spectre's  Bride,  page  140. 

Brahms's  Requiem,  pages  4  and  8  (Novello). 

In  these  ordinary  cases  of  stoppage  there  is  not 
much  difficulty,  only  a  little  care  being  necessary. 


STACCATO  AND  RELEASE 


137 


But  in  the  clean-cut  stoppages  of  crisp  staccatos 
and  the  quick  shading  off  required  in  emotional 
staccatos,  great  skill  is  needed  to  accomplish  them 
artistically.  The  difficulty  of  the  really  short 
staccato  lies  in  getting  the  true  shock  of  the  glottis 
and  cutting  off  the  note  smartly.  These  may  be 
managed  well  on  two  or  even  three  notes,  but  when 
it  comes  to  a  succession  of  staccato  notes,  as  in 
"Haste  thee,  nymph"  (Handel),  or  alternate  staccato 
and  sustained  notes,  as  "I  am  the  god  Thor " 
(Elgar),  the  effect  is  generally  blurred.  This  is  due 
in  the  first  case  to  the  rapid  tiring  of  the  muscles 
brought  into  play  in  an  unusual  task.  In  the  second 
case  it  is  through  lack  of  alertness — tiredness,  or 
really  indolence — after  the  thing  has  been  done  twice. 

Elgar,  King  Ola/. 


P 


1* 


m 


22: 


fggg 


am 

cres. 


the    God  Thor, 
ftsi 


I     am        the  War  God, 


J* 


•etc. 


the     Thun 


der 


In  the  most  advanced  choirs  these  things  have  to 
be  seriously  dealt  with,  and  more  time  has  to  be 
spent  over  these  points  than  one  would  imagine. 
How  to  get  the  true  shock  of  the  glottis  so  as  to 
get  clear  attack  I  have  dealt  with  previously,  pages 
32-36,  so  nothing  further  need  be  said,  except  that 
in  studying  how  to  sing  staccato  the  principles  there 
enforced  must  be  recapitulated.  With  respect  to 
releasing  the  notes  crisply,  this  can  be  done  by  the 
same  means  whereby  "  striking  the  notes  in  the 
middle"  is  effected,  namely,  dissociating  the  sounds 
from  the  throat  and  locating  them  close  to  the  lips. 


138  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

But  the  singers  must  have  a  reminder,  or  they 
will  not  do  it  at  the  critical  moment;  therefore 
all  staccato  marks  should  be  emphasised  with 
blue  pencil,  such  re-marking  to  be  used  as  a 
mnemonic  to  stimulate  the  will,  which  is  the 
controlling  force  in  all  cases  of  muscular  action — 
and  inaction. 

EMOTIONAL    STACCATO. 

The  emotional  staccato  consists  of  striking  the 
note  softly  but  firmly  and  quitting  it  quickly ;  but 
instead  of  leaving  it  with  the  same  amount  of  force 
or  sound  with  which  it  was  struck — as  in  dynamic 
staccato — there  is  a  molto  diminuendo  on  each  note, 
merging  into  silence,  this  silence  seeming  to 
be  part  of  the  note,  just  as  in  Phil  May's 
sketches  in  Punch  an  incomplete  line  suggests 
its  continuance.  By  this  treatment  of  the  staccato 
we  get  a  series  of  incipient  sobs  or  delicate  breath- 
pressures  which  have  an  immense  emotional  effect. 

The  importance  of  staccato  singing  somehow 
seems  to  escape  the  attention  of  conductors.  It 
may  be  that  the  infrequency  of  staccato  phrases 
has  prevented  the  amount  of  labour  involved  in 
performing  this  particular  accomplishment  from 
becoming  crystallized;  therefore  conductors  do  not 
give  the  necessary  trouble  to  the  technical  side  of 
the  attainment,  with  the  result  that  as  a  rule 
staccato  passages  are  comparative  failures.  But 
really,  it  is  worth  while  to  develop  their  possibilities 
to  the  utmost,  not  only  because  of  their  intrinsic 
value  as  a  musical  effect,  but  because  they  are  so 
seldom  done  well  that  when  they  are  accomplished 
they  stand  out  as  something  quite  exceptional  and 
memorable. 


STRESSES  AND  PRESSURES        139 

To  attain  perfection  in  these  effects,  to  secure 
crispness  and  delicate  shading,  the  conductor  must 
explain  his  wishes  and  pattern  the  ideal  model 
frequently.  In  doing  this  he  must  demonstrate 
that  only  by  forward  tone  and  tongue-tip  utterance, 
joined  to  the  singers'  self-denying  discipline,  can 
these  things  be  accomplished. 

If  a  conductor  wishes  to  make  a  sensation  let  him 
perform  Handel's  "  Haste  thee,  Nymph  "  or  "  What 
have  we  to  do  with  Kaikobad"  (Omar  Khayyam). 
Though  of  different  types  of  staccato  they  both 
present  arresting  features  when  ideally  performed. 

THE    DYNAMIC    AND    EMOTIONAL   SFORZANDOS. 
STRESSES    AND    PRESSURES. 

Though  the  constituents  of  expression  which  we 
have  considered  are  each  of  importance,  I  question 
whether  any  one  is  quite  as  effective  as  well-executed 
pressure-notes,  be  they  heavy,  light,  or  emotional. 
Perhaps  a  great  measure  of  their  striking  effect  is 
due  to  the  rarity  of  their  being  done  tastefully. 
There  is  a  distinct  tendency  to  interpret  these 
marks  too  clumsily ;  to  give  a  kind  of  thud  at  each 
pressure,  every  one  lacking  the  shading-off  necessary 
to  obtain  a  good  effect. 

Again,  most  conductors  seem  oblivious  of  the  fact 
that  there  is  the  emotional  sforzando  and  pressure- 
note,  as  well  as  the  forceful,  explodent  variety; 
further,  that  there  is  a  wide  field  of  use  for  the 
emotional  pressure  in  cases  which  are  not  indicated 
in  the  music,  because  they  cannot  be  well  defined 
by  mere  notation.  These  must  be  felt  by  the 
conductor,  and  through  him  reproduced  by  the 
choir.     The  emotional  variety  consists  of  the  usual 


i4o  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

pressure-note  >  preceded  by  a  short  crescendo  <  z=»- , 
thereby  destroying  all  impression  of  abruptness, 
and  at  the  same  time  imparting  an  atmosphere  of 
tenderness  which  has  a  peculiar  charm. 

To  illustrate  these  pressures  and  stresses,  take 
ihe  following  examples  : — 

A.  DvoRak,  The  Spectre's  Bride. 
o        -         ver  flin         -        ty 


(i) 


«K^ 


s 


r^ 


ifk 


&m 


dbd 


A 


i 

And         o    -   ver      flin   -  ty       stones  they    sped, Through 


stones 


they 


sped,       Through 
■-1- 


thorn  -  y   brakes 


i^^^i^^^ 


etc. 


thorn  -  y   brakes  and     des  -  erts  dead,  through  thorn-  y  brakes 


(a) 


Adagio. 


4 


pmf=z=^= 


Cowem,  Tht  Veil. 
a      A 


etc. 


i 


m 


(3)   !&=*= 


*=*: 


•    * 


:*=<: 


-  etc. 


Which        soft   -  en-  eth    the   mys  -    ter  -  y 


w 


<^Vt; 


i    ;  r   rrik^T^rr* 


■v— +• 


M-- 


*J-   J.  + 


g^ 


j^fc? 


of  an        an  -gel. 


The  shad-ow        of  the  pass-ing 


STRESSES  AND  PRESSURES       141 


(5) 


Soprano.    "»/*>'<»*. 


33=3 


$E3 


Bantock,  Atalanta  in  Calydon. 
dim.     K  -^ 

^ t*F p==^=qp 

:5=:iz=fr=zg=[z 


With     weep   -   ing, 
Mezzo-Soprano. 


with       weep 


ing, 


p&S££gg^^^&^ 


and  laughter,   and  laughter,     and  wrought  with  laughter, 


Contralto. 
o 


etc. 


wrought   with     weep  -  ing, 
Bass.  p% 


and  wrought  with 


m 


£ 


with 


weep 


Unless  the  choir  be  warned  they  will  put  pressure 
on  the  soprano  notes  of  Ex.  i,  and  by  not  diminishing 
the  sound  to  mezzo  they  convert  the  whole  phrase 
into^,  with  the  effect  of  crowding  out  the  moving 
contraltos  and  basses,  which  are  the  important 
feature.  In  Ex.  2,  the  same  thing  happens  with 
the  instruments ;  we  get  a  succession  of  stodgy 
sounds  fff  with  no  point,  whereas  if  a  marked 
decrescendo  is  made  on  each  note,  a  series  of 
impressive  sobs — which  contrasts  finely  with  the 
other  instrumental  parts — emphasises  the  poignant 
effect  required  by  the  scene  depicted.     In  Exx.  3 


142   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

and  4  the  pressure-notes,  if  not  carefully  treated, 
convert  each  phrase  into  a  bold  mezzo  without  any 
tenderness,  but  if  each  note  is  shaded  off  into  the 
region  of  silence  the  effect  is  quite  moving. 
On  page  140,  Exx.  1  and  2  are  good  illustrations  of 
the  dynamic  pressure-note,  Exx.  3  and  4  demonstrate 
the  emotional  pressure,  while  Ex.  5,  page  141,  is  a 
striking  example  of  contrasted  staccato  effects. 

The  essential  fact  which  should  be  grasped  by 
conductors  and  performers  is,  that  pressure-marks 
should  not  alter  the  general  character,  be  it  forte, 
piano,  or  pianissimo.  They  should  balance  the 
pressure  at  the  commencement  of  the  note  with  a 
proportionate  shading-off  at  the  finish,  so  that 
the  mean  quantity  of  the  tone  is  not  disturbed: — 


Line  of  mean 
force 


■ff 


The  sf,  fff  followed  by  a  mf,  preserves  the  balance 
of//. 

mf  PP 

Line  of  mean)        ,   ^\\  __    \\     „n 

force  rnf-^-mf  PP^\-PP 

'  P  PPP 

The  mf  with  pronounced  pressure  followed  by  p 
gives  a  mean  of  mf.  The  pp  with  gentle  pressure 
followed  by  a  whispered  ppp  secures  a  true  pp. 
Exx.  3  and  4,  page  140,  should  be  regarded  as  p  or 
pp  phrases  with  the  trimmings  of  a  well-defined 
emotional  pressure  followed  bya  delicate  diminuendo; 
and  they  must  not  degrade  these  and  similar  phrases 
by  neglecting  the  shading-off,  thus  converting  them 
into  colourless  mezzos  without  a  tinge  of  emotion. 


STRESSES  AND  PRESSURES       143 


Some  emotional  pressure-notes  are  more  telling 
than  others.  When  these  occur  they  should  be 
rehearsed  until  the  right  effect  is  secured.  For 
instance,  the  following  examples  can  be  made  very 
impressive  : — 

Eaton  Faning.  "Moonlight." 


te^S 


=*=fe 


M 


k 


£s 


etc. 


And     it       seems 


to     the     eyes,    . 


Elgar,  Gerontius. 


^T — I — =qp F~F: 

O  gen  -    'rous 


fP 


PP 


g»  • 


\ — &-— 


&-*- 


7*1 


'rous       love ! 
fP 


m 


that 


He     etc. 


* ^ 


"^ 


Pf 


ML 


Elgar,     The  Kingdom. 


-& G~ 

That    hath       dealt 


¥&5 


won  -    drous 

m 


with    us,  etc. 


El 


-A — A A — A- 


J.  J.    X  -T   J.  X  J-  -iAg 

That .  .  hath    dealt  won    -    drous  -  ly 

m> 


with     us,  etc. 


=£5! 


^ 


That    hath 


dealt 


3! 


3 


won    -  drous 
PPP 

1     J     ^. 


ly 


with     us,  etc. 
A 


4: 


P^ 


That    hath  dealt         won    -    drous  -  ly      with         us,  etc. 

In  "  Moonlight,"  while  a  rather  full  stress  is 
required,  it  is  the  rapid  dim.  to  ppp  which  shows 
the  virtuosity   and  produces   the   striking  effects. 


144  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

Modern  works  such  as  Omar  Khayyam,  Atalanta  in 
Calydon,  &c,  abound  in  effects  of  this  kind.  Some- 
times the  emotional  pressure  seems  too  assertive 
through  the  short  initial  crescendo  being  carried  a 
shade  too  far,  thus  causing  it  to  approximate 
to  a  swell  <:>,  instead  of  <::==-,  a  pressure-note 
with  softened  approach,  or  a  sforzando  preceded,  as 
it  were,  by  a  buffer. 

When  such  cases  occur,  I  remind  my  singers  of 
a  boy  who  was  trespassing,  who,  when  asked  by 
the  farmer  where  he  was  going,  replied  "  Back 
again."  If  they  feel  that  they  are  overdoing  the 
initial  swell,  and  they  "  get  back  again  "  rather 
quickly,  no  harm  will  be  done. 

With  respect  to  the  signs  >  and  A,  I  use  the 
latter  when  a  sudden  decresccndo  or  fp  is  required. 
The  pressure-notes  which  are  often  needed  to  call 
attention  to  the  entry  of  a  part,  and  to  reveal 
obscure  parts  of  imitation,  will  be  dealt  with  later. 


MANAGEMENT    OF    SUSTAINED   SOUNDS. 

It  is  atonishing  how  telling  sustained  sounds  may 
be  made,  especially  if  they  end  on  an  accented 
beat.  Figuratively  they  illumine  with  a  flood  of 
light  the  whole  phrase  in  which  they  appear,  if 
there  be  a  steady  crescendo  to  the  last  accent. 

As  examples  it  is  only  necessary  to  refer  to  the 
sustained  notes  in  Brahms's  Requiem,  pp.  20, 
47,  48,  50,  51,  and  76  (Novello's  edition),  and  to  the 
splendid  examples  in  "  Blest  Pair  of  Sirens." 

These  being  chiefly  in  the  soprano  part,  their 
proper  treatment  is  fairly  obvious,  but  when  the 
sustained  notes  appear  in  the  inner  and  lowest  part, 
instead  of  allowing  them  to  be  inert,  full  advantage 


SUSTAINED  SOUNDS 


145 


should    be    taken  of    their    possibilities — as,    for 
instance : — 

1st  Choir.  Bach-  b  minor  Mau 

m 


P 


mj 


&j±— 


Ho    -     san    -     -    etc. 


?P3 





=t 


£*333S*& 


etc. 


etc. 


nm 


?^^ 


na,    Ho   -    san  -  na,      etc. 


Striking    examples    are    shown    in    The    Messiah 
analysis,  pages  203-248. 

Very   frequently  a   swell   may   be   made   on   a 
sustained  sound  even  to  the  extent  of  drowning  for 


146  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

a  moment  the  other  voices,  but  this  obtrusion  is 
redeemed  by  the  charming  effect  produced  when  the 
diminuendo  sets  in,  and  the  part  which  had  undue 
prominence  melts  into  obscurity,  by  the  singers 
"getting  back  again." 

A  series  of  short  vocal  swells  on  a  sustained  note 
may  be  made  wonderfully  effective  in  cases  like  the 
following : — 


i 


:a: 


ing, 


Other  characteristic  phrases  will  be  shown  later. 

The  chief  caution  which  needs  emphasising  is  to 
take  great  care  that  the  choristers  finish  a  swell  as 
softly  as  they  commence.  It  is  an  easy  thing  to 
commence  a  swell,  but  an  extremely  difficult  thing 
to  secure  the  proper  symmetrical  treatment  of  its 
latter  half.  Usually  the  singers  commence  the 
dim.  too  late  and  finish  it  too  soon,  producing  an 

effect  like  this,/>/>- |^-/>,  instead  of  pp 1~ pp. 

Therefore  always  be  alert  to  correct  this  defect  of 
technique  and  taste. 


EXALTATION    AND    SUBORDINATION     OF    VOICE    PARTS. 

For  convenience  we  have  hitherto  studied 
expression  from  the  point  of  view  of  one  voice 
or  the  whole  choir  moving  simultaneously,  when 
one  mark  of  expression  applied  to  the  whole. 
Though  this  rule  obtains  in  a  large  proportion  of 
cases,  modern  music  and  latter-day  requirements 
demand  more  individualistic  treatment  of  every 
section   of  the  choir.     From  the  time  when  the 


VOICE  PARTS  147 

ravishing  strains  of  Rossini,  Donizetti,  Bellini, 
Verdi,  Gounod,  and  other  "  tuney  "  operatic  writers 
flourished,  up  till  very  recent  days,  the  chief 
desideratum  in  a  choral  piece  was  a  melodious 
soprano  part,  with  nicely  flowing  but  subordinate 
lower  parts  ;  hence  the  popularity  of  the  part-song, 
which,  though  often  charming,  was  in  fact  little 
more  than  an  elongated  hymn  tune.  This  "  chief 
air  "  influence  was  so  marked  that  everything  was 
treated  more  or  less  in  the  same  manner — "  the 
tune"  was  everything.  Even  in  fugues  the  contralto, 
tenor,  and  bass  parts  were  secondary  to  the 
sopranos,  who  were  never  taught  to  modify  their 
voices  in  the  counter-subject — or  even  when  their 
part  was  mere  padding — so  as  to  afford  the  other 
voices  a  chance  of  giving  the  subject,  answer,  or 
stretto  due  prominence. 

This  explains  in  a  great  measure  why  madrigals 
fell  into  disfavour  and  were  seldom  sung,  notwith- 
standing the  warm  commendation  given  to  them 
by  all  great  musioians.  As  the  interest  of  madrigals 
does  not  lie  so  much  in  their  "  tune "  as  in  the 
byplay  of  the  parts,  the  great  mass  of  people  saw 
no  beauty  in  them.     Hence  their  sad  neglect. 

When,  in  the  'nineties,  I  began  to  treat  part-songs, 
madrigals,  glees,  and  choruses  with  more  freedom, 
by  giving  occasional  prominence  to  the  contraltos, 
tenors,  and  basses,  I  was  bitterly  assailed  and 
charged  with  presumption,  lack  of  taste,  exaggera- 
tion, and  other  dreadful  faults ;  but  as  I  had  been 
at  the  trouble  of  analysing  the  music,  and  felt  that 
the  chief  feature,  whatever  it  was,  should  be 
prominent,  and  that  the  accompanying  parts, 
however  interesting,  were  merely  packing  and  must 
be  subservient  to  the  principal  theme  in  whatever 


148  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

voice  it  appeared,  I  kept  on  my  own  way,  and  time 
has  justified  my  action. 

A  change  has  now  come  over  the  scene.  The 
very  things  which  were  condemned  are  now  the 
things  praised,  and  the  eternal  preponderance  of 
the  soprano,  though  at  times  delightful,  is  resented 
by  all  critics.  This  attitude  accounts  for  the 
decline  in  popularity  of  many  really  good  part-songs. 
For  the  same  reason  Spohr's  violin  quartets  have 
gone  out  of  fashion.  There  is  too  much  first  violin 
in  them,  and  too  little  prominence  of  the  other 
instruments.  A  general  sharing  of  the  interest  by 
every  part  employed  is  what  is  now  looked  for. 
Audiences  and  singers  alike  want  relief  from  the 
sopranos.  They  demand  that  the  contraltos  shall 
become  prominent  occasionally  in  charming 
melodic  phrases.  Then  interest  is  evoked  by  the 
tertors  springing  into  life  and  shining  like  bright 
particular  stars,  and  the  pleasure  is  enhanced  when 
the  rich  voices  of  the  basses  loom  large  on  the 
musical  horizon,  the  other  parts  meanwhile  making 
obeisance  to  them,  although  they  are  the  lowest  part. 

INTERCHANGE    OF    PARTS. 

This  exaltation  of  a  part,  with  its  corollary — the 
subordination  of  the  other  parts — is  now  so  firmly 
fixed  as  an  artistic  principle  that  its  successful 
realisation  has  to  be  seriously  considered  by  all 
conductors.  The  question  arises :  How  can  it  be 
best  accomplished  ?  After  repeated  trials  with 
madrigals,  imitative  choruses  and  other  works,  I 
have  found  that  the  part  which  requires  bringing 
out  cannot  always  give  sufficient  power  and 
emphasis  to  be  heard  as  clearly  as  it  should.     This 


INTERCHANGE  OF  PARTS         149 

may  arise  from  the  "  lay  "  of  the  notes  to  be  sung 
or  from  the  power  of  the  opposing  voices. 
Therefore  the  best  way  of  overcoming  the  difficulty 
is  to  have  a  well-considered  plan  of  borrowing  and 
lending  of  voices — an  interchange  of  parts,  which 
can  be  effected  at  any  moment.  In  my  own  choirs 
I  always  regard  the  second  sopranos  and  first 
contraltos  as  interchangeable.  They  are  the 
"  handy  men  "  of  the  choir.  Whenever  a  contralto 
phrase  needs  to  be  prominent,  I  ask  the  second 
sopranos  to  mark  their  copies  and  sing  the  phrase, 
and  then  go  to  their  own  parts.  Similarly  the  first 
contraltos  assist  the  sopranos.  This  has  the  double 
effect  of  strengthening  the  thematic  voice  while  at 
the  same  time  weakening  an  opposing  voice.  One 
can  see  how  effective  such  a  plan  is.  Thus  in  a 
choir  of  a  hundred  sopranos  and  ninety  contraltos 
I  get,  at  strategical  points,  one  hundred  and  forty 
contraltos  to  peal  forth  a  theme  like  the 
following : — 

Brahms,  Requiem. 


te^i 


etc. 


:±: 


glad  -ness  e  -  ter  -  nal,         glad-ness  e  -   ter  -  nal. 

This  subject  is  more  fully  dealt  with  in  the 
analysis  of  The  Messiah,  and  the  examples  given 
of  the  chorus  "  And  the  glory  of  the  Lord "  (see 
pages  205,  207) .  In  "Worthy  is  the  Lamb  "  (see  page 
240)  this  is  reversed,  the  contraltos  there  assisting  the 
sopranos,  the  theme  thus  being  given  out  by  the 
equivalent  of  145  sopranos.  This  principle  I  carry 
still  further  by  getting  the  tenors,  when  necessary, 
to  assist  the  contraltos,  and  the  contraltos  to  join 
the  tenors  and  even  the  basses.      In  fact,  whenever 


150  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

a  part  needs  strengthening  I  use  any  available  voices 
for  that  purpose.  On  page  239  a  detailed  account  is 
given  of  how  this  is  done  in  "Worthy  is  the  Lamb." 

Assistance  to  a  voice  part  is  sometimes  confined 
to  one  note ;  for  instance,  a  few  tenors  sing  the  first 
low  G  of  the  contralto  lead  in  "  In  going  to 
my  lonely  bed,"  or  in  "  Laudo  Deum  Verum," 
and  "  God  sent  His  messenger  "  (Golden  Legend). 
In  both  these  cases  the  tenors  and  basses,  by  means 
of  great  breath-pressure,  work  up  to  a  glorious 
climax,  but  by  reinforcing  their  high  notes  with  the 
telling,  nasally  forward  notes  of  the  contraltos  a 
brilliant  effect  is  produced,  which  explains  in  part 
the  six  degrees  of  fortissimo  already  mentioned. 
Incidentally  it  may  be  said  that  the  audiences 
are  delighted  with  the  wonderful  reserve  of  force 
shown  in  the  voices  of  the  men  (it  is  never  suspected 
that  any  of  the  women  join  in),  who  are  equally 
pleased  that  their  efforts  win  commendation  all 
round.  Here  let  me  urge  once  more  that  doing 
this  is  not  in  any  sense  questionable  or  illegitimate, 
but  merely  artistic  discrimination.  As  an  example 
of  the  application  of  this  principle  in  an  extended 
form  I  would  refer  to  Granville  Bantock's 
11  Cruiskeen  Lawn."  It  may  be  added  that  when 
I  submitted  this  scheme  to  Mr.  Bantock,  he 
thoroughly  approved  of  it,  and  the  great  success  of 
its  performance  by  the  choir  on  the  world  tour  fully 
justified  the  treatment : — 

Bar  17.  Contraltos  reinforced  by  second 
sopranos : 

Bantock,   "  Cruiskeen  Lawn." 


$ 


b  -r—     * c *— 


m 


etc. 


-* # 


*=^ 


* 


When  the  year's  grown  old    and  grey,  When  the  hours  slip 


INTERCHANGE  OF  PARTS 


151 


Bars  20,  21 

-7     m — ^+=~- 


Tenors  joined  by  second  contraltos: 


I* 


S 


*=?=*=¥* 


etc. 


With 


?=& 


■*=?= 


heart   too  fond   for     fear,    Still   I'll    drink  with 


At  bars  24  and  25  the  second  sopranos  again  join  the 
contraltos,  and  there  are  several  other  interchanges 
of  parts  which  are  set  forth  in  the  detailed  analysis  of 
the  part-song  given  in  Appendix  I.  (see  page  291). 

Cases  like  the  following  do  not  need  any  inter- 
change of  parts,  but  great  care  is  required  to  keep 
the  accompanying  voices  a  degree  softer  than 
marked,  while  the  solo  voices  can  be  a  shade  louder 

than  indicated  : Elgmi.  "Go.  song  of  mine." 

.mm : 


s. 


1st  A. 


1st  & 
2nd  T. 


m 


cr 


-K^-stilippp- 


'§: 


Go,     song 


of 


3t=S 


=V 


I 


I      f 

■*# 1 


t=£ 


Go, 


song 


of 


-* 


-*—*- 


Go,    song  of    mine,   To     break 


the  hard  -  ness 


of   the  heart 


of    man.       etc. 


152  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


Part-Song. 


P 


S^pjt 


(PP) 


Eaton  Faning,    "Moonlight. 


19 


ZEE. 


«> & — L 


mEi 


V  V 

The    night      is         still 

iPP) 


and       ho 


ly,      the 


:£_ 


§^ 


za: 


t* — cr- 

ly,      the 


1 U 


P^1 


V  V 

The    night      is         still  and       ho 

(mp) 


hP: 


*-\b  f  r*T~j^ — Jj5 


2feL-fc±=* 


The    night        is        still    .    .  and       ho 


Pi 


ly,      the 


a 


2a: 


S3 


27^ — *- 


tg*-1- 


The    night        is      still  and       ho 


ly,      the 


^g^te^f 


wa    -    ters  soft 


ly      flow, 


* 


^=^-+^im 


etc. 


wa    -    ters  soft 


ly     flow, 


is 


etc. 


J===^=r 


B^J 


IOtJ 


ters  soft 


ly      flow,  etc. 

A       A 


Sg 


Ol 


lei 


yHrt- 


T 
ly    flow,    A  -  cross,  etc. 


wa    -    ters  soft 


INTERCHANGE  OF  PARTS 


153 


2nd  Choir. 
1st  Bass. 


m/-       - 


Hi 


£ 


Bantock,  Atalanta  in  Cody  don. 

m       -»■ 


:tz=tz 


3E* 


* 


I 


4th  Choir. 

1st  Tenor. 


Eye- sight    and  speech  they  wrought  for  the 


PP_ 


33 


£=3: 


—1 1 +  •  1 

Eye  -  sight         and  speech, 

4th  Choir. 

1st  Bass. 


eye 


sight 


and 


P^=^Tf 


Eye  -  sight         and      speech,  . 


eye    - 


sight 


and 


m 


fc 


f    V    v    £^: 


^ 


veils 


of  the     soul     there  -  in. 


% 


m=t 


jgE 


speech 


they 


wrought. 


m 


speech 


they 


wrought. 


Having  dealt  with  the  means  at  disposal  for 
giving  prominence  to  certain  parts  when  required, 
let  us  consider  how  to  treat  fugal  and  other  imitative 
passages,  meanwhile  giving  the  caution  that  the 
injunction  to  use  special  treatment,  as  in  the  cases 


154  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

given  above,  is  exceptional,  and  only  occasionally  occurs. 
For  instance,  in  the  whole  of  The  Messiah  I  only 
adopt  this  interchange  or  borrowing  of  voices  in 
three  choruses — in  "  And  the  Glory  "  for  ten  bars,  in 
"O  Thou  that  tellest "  for  one  bar,  and  in  "  Worthy 
is  the  Lamb  "  for  four  bars.  In  Elijah  there  is  not 
a  single  case  of  adding  of  voices,  but  twice  there  are 
cases  of  subtraction  of  voices  for  a  few  bars.  The 
two  examples  quoted  from  The  Golden  Legend 
are  the  only  cases  that  occur  in  that  work.  There- 
fore people  must  not  think  that  wholesale  choppings 
and  changings  are  indulged  in  or  are  necessary. 
But  it  is  a  grand  thing  to  know  that  upon  occasion, 
when  necessity  arises,  it  is  possible  to  strike  like  a 
thunderbolt,  even  if  it  be  only  for  one  or  two  notes. 
A  case  in  point  is  Parry's  "  Blest  Pair  of  Sirens," 
where  I  put  all  available  force  on  the  high  A  of  the 
tenors  to  bring  out  a  telling  response  to  the 
sopranos'  A  in  the  preceding  bar,  as  well  as  to 
crown  the  climax  with  a  thrilling  effect : — 


s. 


ist  T. 


fe* 


$ 


m 


4= 


Jft 


Parry,  Blest  Pair  of  Sirens. 


¥—-&- 


ev  -  er    -    last 


m 


SEEE 


sing     -     ing    cv  -  cr    -     last 


#: 


sing 


T  r  r  r  i  g^= 


ing     cv  -  er   -    last   - 
etc. 


FUGUES,  FUGAL   ENTRIES         155 

FUGUES,  FUGAL    ENTRIES,  IMITATIVE    PHRASES 


OBVIOUS    AND    OBSCURE. 

In  all  fugal-writing  the  well-known  rule  is  to 
commence  with  marked  entry  and  sing  every  note 
of  the  subject  firmly.  But  it  is  not  so  well  known, 
or  at  least  followed,  that  as  soon  as  the  subject  has 
been  enunciated  the  voice  should  at  once  become 
much  softer  and  subordinate  to  the  next  entry  of 
the  theme,  subject,  or  answer.  A  case  in  which  the 
answer  is  often  ruined  by  the  non-observance  of 
this  rule  is  afforded  in  the  Kyrie  of  the  B  Minor 
Mass  (Bach) : — 


Bach,  B  minor  Mass. 


^4 


Ky  -  ri  -  e     e   -  le 


gj=^^r=ff=*r 


'-^E- 


zmz: 


son,  Ky  -  ri  -  e 


-   lc 


1    -    son, 


Kv 


etc, 


Here  the  basses  should  sing  pianissimo  to  allow 
the  low-placed  tenor  reply  to  be  heard,  and  then 
the  full  meaning  of  the  music  is  revealed. 


156   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


The  following  example  illustrates  the  general  way 
of  treating  a  fugal  exposition  : — 

Mendelssohn,  Elijah. 
dim . 


m 


"$■=-> 


m 


t=*^ 


then  ; 


And  the  glo  -  ry     of    the 


m 


&— 


then  ; 


dim. 


331 


*=* 


*=*: 


.m     0  •  m. 


3=t 


m 


3=^ 


then;      And  the  glo-  ry      of     the         Lord,  ev  -  er 

mf. 


S     * 


=^* 


3tZ3FI 


then  ; 


And  the 


m 


H"       o' 


~Jz 


Lord, 


er     shall     re 


£= 


^ 


f  * 


* * 


And  the    glo  -  ry       of     the 
—  cres. 


$ 


i^=§ 


shall  re  ward  you,  the 

k^_  dim.      _  cres. 


gg^F^ 


glo  -  ry      of      the         Lord  ev  -  cr 


FUGUES,  FUGAL   ENTRIES        157 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  bass  and  contralto 
entries  are  differently  marked  from  the  printed 
copy.  This  is  because  of  the  "lay"  of  the  parts. 
When  sung  according  to  the  above  markings,  this 
exposition  has  an  added  charm  because  the  last 
entry  is  heard  supported  by  the  rich  harmony  of 
the  other  parts.  Each  case  however  has  to  be 
analysed  separately  by  the  conductor,  the  marking 
given  which  is  thought  correct,  and  then  the  result 
tested  in  rehearsal  and  performance.  This  plan  I 
follow  absolutely.  In  cases  where  the  dramatic 
import  of  the  music  will  not  allow  any  diminution 
of  sound  in  the  opposing  voices,  the  entering  voice 
must  have  a  hard,  cutting  tone  for  the  first  bar  or 
even  longer,  as  in  the  following  excerpts : — 


P 


Mendelssohn,  Elijah. 


is 


His 


tt^ 


**= 


— *- 

His     curse 


i 


3 


hath 


fall  -  en  down      up  - 


sf         5/ 


SJ 


--*=*- 


fcfc 


g f 


His  curse 


hath 


m 


tic 


m 


±2: 


curse     hath 


fall  -  en  down  up  -   on 


158   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


*v 


** 


Z^E&E 


hath 


fall   -  en  down     up  -  on 


us; 


p 


=fc 


pi=*fJ ** 


us,    up    -     on 


us ; 


^T 


P=r-T— EE=3 


fall  -  en     down, 


hath        fall  -  en  down  up 


m 


:*=■: 


EE 


fall  -  en  down   up  -  on 


us,  hath       fall  -  en  down    up  - 


>=^ 


Parry,  Judith. 


=  :*= 


What  cry   is      ri  -  sing  from  our  homes  ? 


etc. 


fe£ 


w 


3 


slum  -  ber?, 

Tenors,  hard,  nasal  tone  required. 


What  cry    is      ri  -  sing,  etc. 


^^EEF^^^xa- 


Slay  them  I  slay  them  ! 


smite  them  hip  and  thigh,     etc. 


POINTS    OF    IMITATION. 

A  great  deal  of  the  convincing  power  of  a  piece 
containing  points  of  imitation  lies  in  each  entry 
being  made  manifest  to  the  ear,  for  in  addition  to 
carrying  on  the  thematic  scheme  there  is  a  kind  of 
elation  in  listening  to  this  throwing  about  of  the 
theme,  and  wondering  where  it  will  next  appear — 
a  kind  of  musical  "  Hunt  the  slipper."  Therefore 
each  entering  voice  must  be  emphasised  sufficiently 


OBSCURE  IMITATIVE  PASSAGES     159 

to  call  attention  to  its  entry  into  the  musical 
scheme.  This  emphasis  serves  the  same  purpose 
as  having  the  incomer's  name  called  out  at  official 
receptions.  The  momentary  prominence  having 
been  secured,  the  voice  can,  and  generally  must, 
gracefully  subside. 


OBSCURE    IMITATIVE    PASSAGES. 


When  a  part  has  a  rest  and  then  takes  up  the 
theme,  the  singer  can  see  at  once  that  a  marked 
entry  is  necessary ;  but  when  a  part  is  continuous 
the  "  point  of  imitation  "  is  most  frequently  missed, 
and  the  music  is  generally  sung  as  though  it  was  an 
ordinary  part  of  the  general  harmonization  of  the 
"  air,"  which,  as  mentioned  above,  is  usually 
allowed  to  dominate  the  whole. 

For  instance,  how  many,  or  rather  how  few,  have 
noticed  that  in  the  fifth  bar  of  "  He  that  shall 
endure"  {Elijah)  the t interest  is  not  in  the  soprano 
part  but  in  the  tenor  ?  : — 


m 


sa 


-    ved, 


1 


he     that    shall     en  -  dure     to  the  end, 


j  >r 


-    ved, 


,CJ t 


$ 


he     that    shall     en  -  dure     to  the  end, 

r / 1 


ved, 


Li J. 


_C3l 


mr=E^ 


EE= 


he     that    shall     en  -  dure     to  the  end 


E3 


-*—*- 


ved, 


he     that    shall    en  -  dure     to  the  end, 


i6o   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


Similarly  at  bar  n  the  contraltos  should  be 
prominent  for  five  notes,  at  bar  14  the  basses  ditto, 
the  contraltos  again  for  three  notes,  then  the  tenors 
for  three  notes;  while  bars  20  to  26  should  be 
treated  thus : — 


Bar  11. 

L 


Mm. 


BE 


^EE 


Mendelssohn,  Elijah. 


ved, 


shall 


be 


& 


dim. 


m 


*—*- 


he    that  shall    en  -  dure    to  the  end, 


shall 


be 


Ift 


-""■w-fe 


ved,       shall 


be        sa 


ved,    shall 


ved, 

Bar  14.         cres. 


&-_fcJ-OiJ=^^ 


o: 


ved,     shall be         sa 


ved, 


-  ^^ 


¥uir=^ 


~ — _» ** 


ved, 


ved. 


m 


rr7 


3E& 


i 


:F=¥ 


— f — p#- 
-1       l- 


_o 


be,       shall  .  . 


be         sa 


ved, 


he    that  shall    en  -  dure    to  the  end 


OBSCURE  IMITATIVE  PASSAGES     161 


shall  .  . 


* 


^ 


m 


r 


be        sa 


ved, 


he    that 


i 


*= 


^ 


Mm. 


& 


he   that    shall    en  -  dure    to  the     end, 


i 


£=» 


<//«. 


r^=g 


-«- 


i 


s^ 


fc* 


t=t 


shall 


be        sa 


ved, 


he  that  shall  en 


dim. 


3g=F 


m 


w=r 


ft* 


be        sa 


ved, 


Bar  20. 


/ 


fcp: 


shall  en  -  dure  to  the   end, 


shall 


be     sa 


PS 


^ 


^g 


i 


? — i~F 


he  that       shall  en-  dure  to  the   end,       shall    be 


-A 


ttz 


m 


dure  to  the  end,   .    . 


shall 


AAA 


M  i     f 


-^ 


^ 


« 


he 


that 


shall  en  dure  to  the    end,      shall  be 


162   TFXHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


dim. 


ved, 


.dim. 


3^m 


.cres.T. 


:o 


m 


ved,  . 


be    that 


^m 


dim. 


fc 


E^=£ 


be      sa 
dim. 


ved,      he    that     shall    en  - 


era. 
A        A 


3^ 


S^z 


m 


-M ■       ■ 


ved.  he    that  shall    en  -   dure    to  the  end, 


i 


>f 


I      |        *— =jC 


r — f- 


:4=F 


_cJ I 


i b 


he    that     shall     en  -   dure     to  the  end. 


I 


~ 


B5^ 

I ■!— i 


g 


V 


_* g 


shall     en    -    dure 


to  the  end, 


n=i: 


^EE£ 


'*         g 


tT^=t=±±==^^^ 


dure    to  the  end,    shall  .   .    .    be .  .   sa 


w^ZFf^FfiHr^ 


shall   be         sa 


ved. 


WHEEL  WITHIN  A  WHEEL        163 


A    particularly     pleasing     effect     is     made    by 
observing  the  following  obscure  imitations : — 


(1)    2nd  Alto. 

-PP-P- 


Elgar,  Gerontius. 


'i 


3=^=£ 


=F 


m 


— o 

Go 
1st  Tenor. 


on        thy    course  and       may,   etc. 


g=! 


-JOL 


Go 


on       thy      course, 


go; 


(2)      1st  Soprano. 

„  w^ — ; 

m 


dim. 


m 


3: 


ppp 


$ 


peace,    .     . 

2nd  Soprano. 
&L      A 


thy  place  to  -  day    be  found  in         peace. 

PPP 


E 


5 


thy    place  to  -  day    be        found 


peace. 


There  are  many  cases  where  the  music,  on  paper, 
does  not  appear  to  call  for  special  emphasis,  but  in 
performance  a  slight  pressure  adds  point  and 
meaning — as  in  Atalanta,  page  4,  The  Kingdom, 
pages,  31,  167,  180, 183,  The  Veil,  page  109.  These 
may  be  often  regarded  as  pulsation  imitations. 


WHEEL    WITHIN    A    WHEEL. 

Closely  connected  with  this  exaltation  and 
subordination  is  the  management  of  two  or  more 
independent  melodies,  and  the  bringing  into  notice 


164   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

the  subsidiary  designs,  secondary  motives,  or 
intertwining  melodies,  so  that  they  may  be  heard 
without  shrouding  the  principal  theme. 

To  do  these  things  successfully  involves  quick 
changes  in  tonal  force  and  skilful  manipulation 
of  the  voices.  As  an  illustration  we  will  take  the 
opening  of  Bach's  "  Sing  ye"  (see  pages  197-199). 

It  will  be  seen  that  a  single  mark,  /  or  p,  would 
not  be  adequate,  as  each  part  proceeds  on 
independent  lines ;  therefore  each  line  must  have 
its  own  markings. 

In  the  past  composers  seldom  indicated  how  a 
piece  was  to  be  performed,  except  by  an  occasional 
forte  or  piano,  as  they  expected  that  those  who 
performed  the  works,  being  experienced  musicians, 
would  know  how  to  interpret  them  properly. 
Herein  lies  the  danger  of  overlooking  these  subtleties 
of  expression.  Modern  musicians  are  so  used  to 
having  every  nuance  indicated  that  they  often 
regard  the  marking  of  works — even  old  works — as 
final.  To  act  on  this  assumption  would  be  fatal  to 
either  an  emotional  or  intellectual  interpretation  of 
the  old  masters.  I  have  a  copy  of  Bach's  Mass  in 
B  minor  which  does  not  contain  a  single  mark  of 
expression.  Is  there  any  wonder  that  Bach  was  in 
the  past  unpopular  ? 

When  a  composition  is  manifestly  inadequately 
marked  the  conductor  must  analyse  it  to  ascertain 
its  possibilities,  and  then  have  courage  to  carry  out 
his  ideas.  But  in  addition  to  the  trouble  of 
searching  out  the  salient  points,  there  will  be  the 
additional  labour  of  training  the  choir  to  overcome 
the  "  law  of  sympathy"  sufficiently  to  act  indepen- 
dently. Two  illustrations  of  this  "  wheel  within  a 
wheel  "  are: — 


WHEEL  WITHIN  A  WHEEL        165 

Elcar,  King  Olaf. 


$ 


A 

A*. 


J— J. 


& 


BE 


t 


.    from  each 


And    flee, 


T 

flee 


a    -    way 


•.  J> 


ht*+itnaM 


Hoist  up  your  sails    of  silk    And  flee     a  -  way  from  each 


i 


ther. 


& 


^— h     I    , 1 


P=& 


ther. 


etc. 


Intimately  connected  with  these  cross-currents  of 
expression  is  the  management  of  contrasted  swells, 
as  in  this  excerpt : — 

H.  Coward,  Story  of  Bethany . 


£ 


P==£2: 


em 


O  .     .     .      Lord,  how    .    .      great        etc. 


I 


E£ 


0 


Lord. 


166  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

CHARACTERIZATION. 

One  of  the  distinguishing  features  of  modern 
choral  technique  is  what  I  term  "  characterization," 
or  realism,  of  the  sentiment  expressed  in  the  music. 
Formerly  this  kind  of  singing  was  tabooed  to  such 
an  extent  that  when  in  rehearsals  and  at  concerts 
I  induced  the  Sheffield  Musical  Union  to  sing  with 
graphic  power,  musicians  of  the  old  school  voted 
me  a  mad  enthusiast,  extravagant,  theatrical,  ultra, 
and  many  other  things  of  the  same  sort.  These 
people  wondered  why  I  wanted  variety  of  tone- 
colour — who  had  ever  heard  of  such  a  demand  from 
a  choir  ? — and  many  of  my  friends  even  thought 
I  was  demanding  too  much  when,  in  rehearsing 
Berlioz's  Faust,  I  asked  for  something  harder  in 
tone  than  the  usual  fluty,  mellifluous  sound  in  order 
to  depict  the  hearty  laugh  of  the  peasants  in  the 
first  chorus.  They  were  almost  scandalised  when 
I  asked  for  a  somewhat  raucous,  devil-may-care 
carousal-tone  in  the  "  Auerbach's  wine-cellar M 
scene,  and  when  a  fiendish,  snarling  utterance  was 
called  for  in  the  "  Pandemonium "  scene  they 
thought  I  was  mad.  However,  the  performance 
settled  all  these  objections.  It  was  seen  by 
contrast  how  ridiculous  it  was  for  a  choir  to  laugh 
like  Lord  Dundreary  with  a  sort  of  throaty  gurgle ; 
how  inane  it  was  to  depict  wine-cellar  revelry  with 
voices  suggesting  the  sentimental  drawing-room 
tenor,  and  how  insipid  it  was  to  portray  fiendish  glee 
within  hell's  portals  with  the  staid  decorum  of  a 
body  of  local  preachers  of  irreproachable  character. 

Of  course  the  battle  in  the  rehearsal -room  had 
to  be  fought  sternly  inch  by  inch,  but  frequent 
trials,  approval  of  the  progress  shown,  and  brilliant 


CHARACTERIZATION  167 

success  at  the  concert  won  the  day.  It  was  so 
convincing  that  many  said  they  could  taste  wine 
and  smell  brimstone. 

This  vindication  of  characterization  prepared  the 
way  for  other  experiments. 

The  derisive  and  despairing  laughter  in  the 
"Demons'  Chorus"  (Gerontius) ;  the  contrast  of  senti- 
ment in  "The  wraith  of  Odin  "  {King  Olaf)  between 
the  boisterous  mirth  of  Olaf's  companyatthe  opening 
of  the  feast,  and  their  mysterious  awe  when  they 
become  aware  that  Odin's  wraith  had  been  present ; 
the  graphic  touch  of  "Jarred  against  nature's  chime, 
and  with  harsh  din  "  (Blest  Pair  of  Sirens) ;  the 
strident  cry  of  the  conquerors,  "  Slay  them,  pursue 
them  "  {Judith) ;  the  re-echo  of  the  song  of  the 
desert  (Omar  Khayyam) ;  the  forceful,  rising  apporta- 
mento  to  depict  the  rushing  current  (Armada),  and 
many  other  examples,  all  assert  the  legitimate 
growth  of  characterization  as  an  attribute  of 
choral  singing.  Composers  have  noticed  all  these 
things  both  at  recent  triennial  and  competitive 
festivals,  and  as  a  result  we  have  now  compositions 
which  open  a  new  world  of  vocal  effects.  Contrasts 
of  tone-colour,  contrasts  of  differently  placed  choirs, 
contrasts  of  sentiment — love,  hate,  hope,  despair, 
joy,  sorrow,  brightness,  gloom,  pity,  scorn,  prayer, 
praise,  exaltation,  depression,  laughter,  tears — in 
fact  all  the  emotions  and  passions  are  now 
expected  to  be  delineated  by  the  voice  alone.  It 
may  be  said,  in  passing,  that  in  fulfilling  these 
expectations  choral  singing  has  entered  on  a  new 
lease  of  life.  Instead  of  the  cry  being  raised  that 
the  choral  societies  are  doomed,  we  shall  find  that 
by  absorbing  the  elixir  of  characterization  they  have 
renewed     their    youth ;     and    when    the    shallow 


168  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

pleasures  of  the  picture  theatre  and  the  empty 
elements  of  the  variety  show  have  been  discovered 
to  be  unsatisfying  to  the  normal  aspirations  of 
intellectual,  moral  beings,  the  social,  healthful, 
stimulating,  intellectual,  moral  and  spiritual  uplift  of 
the  choral  society  will  be  appreciated  more  than  ever. 


THE   TECHNIQUE    OF    CHARACTERIZATION. 

"  Tender-handed  stroke  a  nettle, 
And  it  stings  you  for  your  pains, 
Grasp  it  like  a  man  01  mettle, 
And  it  soft  as  silk  remains." 

Before  stating  how  to  produce  the  laugh,  the  sob, 
the  sigh,  the  snarl,  the  moan,  bell  effects,  ejacula- 
tions and  "  trick-singing,"  all  of  which  come  under 
the  head  of  characterization,  I  would  say  that  if  an 
ultra  thing  is  undertaken  it  must  be  done  boldly. 
The  spirit  of  the  old  rhyme  quoted  above  must  be 
acted  upon,  or  fear  will  paralyse  the  efforts  put 
forth,  and  failure  will  be  the  result.  In  choral 
singing,  as  in  other  things,  the  masculinity  of  the 
doing,  the  boldness,  the  daring,  the  very  audacity 
with  which  an  extreme  effect  is  produced  carries 
success  with  it.  Therefore  do  not  attempt  a  daring 
thing  feebly  or  by  halves. 


THE    LAUGH. 

There  are  few  more  effective  and  legitimate 
effects  than  the  laugh,  when  properly  and  graphically 
produced;  but  this  is  seldom  accomplished.  The 
frequent  failures  arise  from  the  singers  not  using 
the  right  kind  of  tone.  To  get  the  "  ring  "  of  the 
joyful  laugh  the  tone  must  be  of  bright,  hard  quality 


THE  LAUGH  169 

with  an  edge  on  it.  Otherwise  it  sounds  flabby  and 
non-infectious,  which  is  the  reverse  of  what  is 
wanted.  Further,  it  must  be  staccato  even  in  such 
phrases  as  the  following  : — 

Wagner,  The  Flying  Dutchman. 
js  (laughing.) 


m 


Knows  the  worth  of  hunters  bold !  Ha  ha  ha  ha  ha  ha     ha ! 


m.  n— ft-*  i^yfe-  ^~fr 


S3 


a  i  r    j 


^=g— TTTHjP 


Knows  the  worth  of  hunters  bold !  Ha  ha  ha  ha  ha  ha    ha ! 


THE    GIBE. 

Contemptuous  gibe  and  derisive  scorn  are,  as 
regards  voice  -  production,  closely  allied  to  the 
ironic  and  sardonic  laugh.  The  chief  ingredients 
in  all  these  effects  is  nasality  reinforced  by  tonal 
flavour  infused  by  the  feeling  of  the  singer.  Thus 
in  Gerontius,  at  the  scornful  words,  "  What 's  a 
Saint  ?  "  the  singers  should  approximate  the  upper 
lip  and  nose  and  thus  assist  the  nasal  twang.  In 
"  He  trusted  in  God "  (Messiah)  the  same  thing 
should  be  done,  but  without  such  a  pronounced 
nasal  twang.  As  the  passages  in  which  this 
treatment  occurs  are  very  infrequent,  the  charge 
of  repetition  of  effect  is  not  likely  to  be 
brought,  especially  as  the  singer  can  infuse 
variation  of  flavour  in  depicting  hate,  scorn  or 
disparagement. 


170  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

To  the  question,  "  Can  you  get  a  large  choir  to 
sing  such  passages  quickly,"  the  answer  is  "  Yes," 
if  you  regard  this  and  similar  instances  as  "  trick- 
singing,"  which  we  will  now  consider. 


TRICK-SINGING. 

There  are  certain  phrases  in  most  modern  works 
which  present  such  difficulties  in  one  form  or 
another  that  they  can  only  be  sung  when  they  are 
so  well  known  that  the  voice  sings  them  as  it  were 
involuntarily,  without  any  conscious  effort.  The 
above  excerpt  is  an  example ;  the  chorus  com- 
mencing "  Surely  she'll  refuse  him,"  from  the 
M  aster  singers  "  What  have  we  to  do  with  Kaikobad  ? " 
{Omar  Khayyam),  the  subject  in  "His  yoke  is  easy," 
and  many  other  quick  phrases  such  as  the  following 
are  further  cases  in  point : — 

Bach,    B  minor  Mass. 


Et      i  -   te  -  rum    ven   -    tu  -  rus      est      cum 


glo  -  ri    -   a,    ven  -  tu    -   rus       est     cum   glo 


=gagjgi 


ri     -     a,  cum  glo  -  ri      -       a  ju  -    di  -  ca 


fe^dS^asi 


re  vi   -  vos  .    .       et      mor 


STRESSES   &   PRESSURES 


171 


tu  -    OS,      ju 


g§p£g 


frj=£_as^Tsfagpj 


*• 


Jj  3- 


BF 


et    mor  -  tu 


== 


OS, 


vos    et      mor-tu   -  os; 


Some  passages  may  not  present  very  great 
difficulties,  but  when  taken  at  great  speed  the 
difficulties  are  magnified,  for  in  technique  speed 
is  the  test  of  proficiency.  Now  it  is  impossible  to  get 
the  rank  and  file  of  an  ordinary  choir  to  learn  a  work 
with  such  a  keen  edge  of  perfectio  n.  Life  is  too  short. 
But  if  they  can  be  persuaded  that  certain  phrases  are 
out  of  the  common,  and  to  master  the  difficulties  of 
such  phrases  these  must  be  treated  as  a  conjurer  or 
juggler  does  a  trick — that  is,  practised  assiduously 
until  they  can  be  sung  without  mental  effort — the 
singers  will  tolerate  reiterations  without  number  till 
the  required  fluency  is  attained.  It  resolves  itself 
into  the  glorifying  of  the  words  "  trick-singing " 
until  they  become  a  motive  for  special  effort. 

Therefore  all  tricky  phrases  must  be  specially 
dealt  with  by  being  classed  as  trick-singing,  and  the 
music  reiterated  for  a  short  time  every  night,  first 
slowly,  then  gradually  quicker  and  quicker  till  the 
desired  effect  is  realised.  By  this  means  I  have 
obtained  perfect  rippling  laughter  in  the  passage 
quoted  from  The  Flying  Dutchman. 

The  sardonic  and  the  derisive  laugh,  to  be 
effective,  requires  a  very  marked  nasality  and  a 
hard,  cutting  tone.  In  The  Dream  of  Gerontius  the 
hitherto   unexplained  effectiveness   of  the  derisive 


172  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


laugh  of  the  Demons  is  produced  by  making  a  very 
marked  crescendo  on  the  last  note,  as  : — 


A. 


t 


tf: 


Ha!     ha!         ha!      ha! 


i^=*^s 


Ha!     ha!         ha!       ha! 


:fc=: 


f=: 


This  reverses  the  marking  given,  but  Sir  Edward 
Elgar  said  when  he  heard  the  effect,  "  That  is 
splendid."  It  is  the  lack  of  knowledge  of  this  that 
has  caused  this  chorus  to  be  often  described  as 
being  performed  by  dress-coated  demons. 

As  a  final  word  on  the  laugh  I  would  say  that  to 
get  the  proper  effect  the  notes  must  generally  be 
sung  staccato,  except  in  cases  where  contrast  is 
purposely  introduced,  as  in  Gerontius.  This  can 
be  done  if  full  advantage  is  taken  of  the  nasal 
forward  tone  required  for  this  medium  of  mirth 
or  derision. 


THE    CUMULATIVE    EFFECT    OF    REITERATED 
PHRASES. 

The  power  and  cumulative  effect  of  reiterated 
passages,  burdens,  and  refrains,  as  well  as  the 
diversity  of  treatment  demanded  by  such  phrases, 
are  most  frequently  overlooked  by  conductors,  with 
the  result  that  dulness  is  often  associated  with 
what  should  be  full  of  delightful  kaleidoscopic 
variety.     Two  such  phrases  occur  in  King  Olaf— 


REITERATED  PHRASES  173 

"  Dead  rides  Sir  Morten  of  Fogelsang,"  and  "Hoist 
up  your  sails  of  silk."  Each  of  the  eight  entries 
of  "  Dead  rides,"  and  the  five  reiterations  of 
"  Hoist  up,"  should  be  treated  differently,  but 
with  such  a  cumulative  effect  that  the  audience 
looks  out  for  each  reappearance  with  excited 
expectancy. 

An  example,  short  but  expressive,  of  how  to  sing 
reiterations  occurs  in  the  following  excerpt : — 

Soprano.  Elgar,  Gerontius. 


g  1  *T~p~f       etc 


As    if       aught,  aught,  aught         could  stand 

The  first  "  aught "  is  said  smartly,  the  second 
with  the  final  "t"  snapped  out,  while  the  third  is 
pronounced  almost  like  aught-a,  the  carrying  glide 
(uh  or  a)  being  accompanied  by  a  quick  emission 
of  breath  like  a  miniature  explosion  from  a  steam 
engine,  to  express  demoniac  vehemence.  The 
cumulative  effect  in  "  A  Franklyn's  Dogge " 
and  the  "  Kaw "  in  Hiawatha  have  already  been 
referred  to;  therefore  as  a  final  example  I  will 
return  to  the  word  "  fou"  (full),  which  is  reiterated 
five  times  under  similar  conditions  in  The  Wedding 
of  Shon  Maclean.  The  way  I  treated  it  was  as 
follows  :  The  first  time  short,  and  very  softly ;  the 
second  time  for  one  beat,  loudly ;  the  third  time  it 
was  held  for  two  beats,  with  a  swell  on  the  vowel ; 
at  the  fourth  recurrence,  to  surprise  the  audience, 
who  by  this  time  had  doubtless  surmised  that  each 
time  the  word  would  be  prolonged,  it  was  sung 
staccato   very   loudly;    and   at   the   fifth   and  final 


174  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

utterance  the  word  was  held  for  three  beats  with  an 
exaggerated  emphasis  and  a  swell  on  the  vowel  to 
enforce  the  fact  that  the  pipers  were  drunk. 


SPECIAL    ONOMATOPOETIC    EFFECTS. 

There  are  certain  imitative  vocal  effects,  such  as 
bell  sounds,  violin  tone,  and  banjo  accompaniment 
which  call  for  special  explanation.  Years  ago  I 
heard  the  "  Bells  of  St.  Michael'sTower," as  arranged 
by  Sir  R.  P.  Stewart.  The  result  was  so  dis- 
appointing that  I  never  gave  it  a  further  thought 
till  some  three  years  ago,  when  I  asked  a  musical 
critic  of  great  experience  in  choral  work  whether  he 
had  ever  heard  an  effective  performance  of  the  old 
glee.  He  said  that  twenty  years  ago  he  had  heard 
a  really  convincing  performance,  but  never  since. 
This  was  sufficient  for  me.  If  it  were  possible  then, 
it  would  be  possible  now,  and  by  reviving  the 
ancient  glory  I  should  fill  a  long-felt  want.  I 
studied  its  possibilities,  and  as  a  result,  during 
our  World  Tour,  we  had  requests  to  sing  it  at 
every  concert,  some  even  desiring  it  to  be  inter- 
polated during  the  performance  of  The  Messiah 
or  Elijah. 

This  success  was  doubtless  the  result  of  the 
striking  imitation  of  the  bell-tone,  which  was  due  to 
the  following  method  of  singing.  The  opening, 
u  Ding,  ding,  dong,  bell "  is  sung  nasally,  in  such  a 
manner  that  by  singing  through  the  final  "ng" 
with  closed  mouth,  the  octave  harmonic  is  heard 
in  the  latter  half  of  the  sound.  This  gives  a 
decided  metallic  tinge  to  the  tone.  The  ebb  and 
flow  of  the  pianos  and  fortes  add  charm  to  the 
ensemble : — 


ONOMATOPOETIC  EFFECTS        175 


1st  Bass. 
Ding,  ding,       ding, 

A  A  A 


ding,       ding,       ding,      dong, 

AAA 

>  f* IS 

— * M ri — 


^* r- 


m$ 


2nd  Bass. 
bell,  JL 


r— *f- 


• V- 


V  V  V 

Ding,    ding,    ding,    ding,   ding,    ding,  dong 


bell. 


It  is  however  at  bars  12  to  15  that  the  most  striking 
results  are  produced : — 


Stewart,"  The  Bells  of  St.  Michael's  Tower." 


jT 


mit 


PPP  if 


PPP 


$ 


XT 


:c3: 


t 


*. 


boime, 


boime, 
PPP  -ff>- 


boime 
PPPff>- 


PPP 


3 


a 


m 


chang, 


J#=3 


chang, 
PPP  J? 


/7S 


chang 
PPP-(?>- 


PPP 


7- 


boime, 


ff 


boime, 

ppp  if  ■ 


boime 
PPP  if 


PPP 


boime, 


^PE 


boime, 


boime, 
PPPrf>- 

boime, 


boime, 
PPPjf>- 

%=. 

—         I   zz 

boime 


PPP 


i76  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


is 

bell 


•■#• 


PPP 


/ 


ten. 
A 


ten. 
A 


Allegro. 


oom, 


ding,    ding,  dong,  merrily. 


■ff- 


PPP 


-£ 


ten. 
A 


ten. 
A 


■tf 


r- 


5 


bell 


oom, 


ding,   ding,      dong, 


.7r 


1 


^3^ 


W 


/T\       /"A  A 

"** «^-* :=— 


■ff 


bell 


■p. 


oom, 


ding,     ding,  dong, 


ff- 


PPP 


&r 


ten. 
A 


f± 


ten.      ^ 
A 


tf 


3= 


£ 


bell 


oom,     .      .      .       ding,    ding,  dong, 


;zr 


^=g 


W        /TN  **        <«••        -«=# 

c>A  A  /7\ 


^ 


3^ 


? 


bell 


oom, 


ding,     ding,  dong, 


Here  the  words  "  boime  "  and  "  chang  "  are  struck 
with  a  relentless  sforzando.  The  clashing  of  the 
explodents  "  b "  and  "  ch "  and  the  conflicting 
vowels  produce  a  kind  of  sound-confusion  associated 
with  the  clang  of  a  bell.  The  singers  immediately 
get  to  the  nasal  consonants  "  m  "  and  "  ng,"  which 
they  sing  in  the  nasal  cavities.  Meanwhile  another 
quick  change  in  the  dynamics  has  been  effected,  to 
represent  the  booming  of  the  bell  immediately  after 
it  has  been  struck  by  the  hammer,  namely,  the  ultra 
quick  decrescendo  followed  by  the  rapid  molto  swell, 
as  shown  by  the  expression  marks  -ff  >  — =:=—  in 


ONOMATOPOETIC  EFFECTS       177 

the  foregoing  example.  These  three  chords  are  all 
slightly  varied  in  length.  "  Bell-oom  "  is  varied 
from  the  other  words  by  having  an  unbroken  swell 
— ==— ;  the  last  three  words  are  treated  with 
pronounced  swell  on  "  ng." 

Thus  there  is  variety  in  every  separate  sound, 
each  presenting  a  bell-tone  in  various  aspects.  The 
good  impression  produced  by  the  "  bell  "  section 
was  strengthened  by  the  graphic  way  the  words 
were  spoken  and  every  point  of  imitation  brought 
out,  special  attention  being  given  to  "a  crabstick 
would  take,"  in  which  Richard's  muscular 
Christianity  was  made  evident.  As  a  climax  to  the 
whole,  the  bell  effects  of  bars  12,  13,  14,  15  were 
repeated,  the  interpolated  closing  word  "bell"  being 
struck  fff  and  gradually  shaded  off  with  the  nasal 
bell-like  sound  to  pppp.  It  should  be  said  that 
in  bars  12,  13  and  14  the  effect  of  the  overtones 
of  the  bells  is  made  more  convincing  if  the 
contralto  G  and  the  baritone  D  are  made  slightly 
prominent. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  tone-quality — timbre — 
of  instruments  depends  upon  the  order  and  strength 
of  their  harmonics  or  overtones ;  thus  an  oboe 
differs  from  the  clarinet  by  reason  of  the  double  oboe 
reed  producing  a  different  set  of  harmonics  from 
those  produced  by  the  single  reed  of  the  clarinet. 
Having  grasped  the  importance  of  harmonics, 
singers  will  realise  why  it  is  that  nearly  all 
characteristic  tone  is  produced  by  the  nasal 
cavities,  as  it  is  in  these  that  nearly  all  the 
modifying  harmonics  connected  with  the  voice 
are  produced.  Therefore  in  imitating  violin  tone 
by  humming,  or  the  "pang,  pang"  of  banjo 
accompaniments,  all  that  is  required  is  to  experiment 


178  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

in  nasal  tone-qualities  and  practise  till  the  desired 
effect  is  obtained.  With  respect  to  the  banjo  trick, 
care  must  be  taken  to  get  the  thin,  wiry  upper 
octave  harmonic  well  defined,  and  success  will  be 
assured. 


DICTION. 

Not  the  least  of  the  elements  which  go  to  give 
point  to  graphic  characterization  is  that  way  of 
saying  or  singing  words  which  is  best  described  by 
the  word  "  Diction." 

This  implies  not  only  clear  articulation,  but  also 
investing  words  with  those  subtle  inflections  and 
shadings  which  reveal  the  essence  of  the  thought 
and  make  them  glow  with  life,  as  for  example : — 


£ 


:*=£: 


ver  -  nun, 


Parry,  Pied  Piper. 


pi  -  ty, 


i 


■i m 


ver-  mm, 


was        a         pi  -  ty, 


1 r 


? 


fefefc 


ver-  mm, 


■-» 


* 


£ 


pi  -  ty, 


&&  >    p — F 


ver-min, 


z^r 


a        pi  -  ty, 


RHETORICAL  ACCENT 


179 


RHETORICAL   ACCENT. 

The  first  thing  to  add  to  clear  articulation  is 
correct  rhetorical  accent.  A  common  fault  is  to 
sing  every  syllable  with  one  force  of  voice,  without 
reference  to  how  the  words  would  be  accented  and 
inflected  if  they  were  spoken.  In  singing,  the 
inflection  of  a  word,  if  not  prevented,  is  to  a  large 
extent,  though  not  entirely,  governed  by  the  notes 
sung;  but  the  proper  balance  of  the  word-accent 
need  not  be  interfered  with.  Unfortunately  this 
fact  is  not  grasped.  Thus  in  the  words  "Surely," 
"Hallelujah"  (Messiah),  "He  is  gracious,  com- 
passionate" (Elijah),  the  final  syllable  is  nearly 
always  sung  too  loudly,  as  "  Gracious,"  "  Surely," 
"  Hallelujah,"  instead  of  being  sung  as  "  Surely," 
"  Hallelujah,"  "  Gracious,"  "  Compassionate."  A 
well-known  example  of  this  misplacing  of  the 
rhetorical  accent  is  : — 


Unison  in  all  Voices 


The      en    -    e-my    shout -eth, 


One  authority  says  that  never  yet  has  he  heard 
the  word  "  Hallelujah  "  correctly  sung.  This  fault 
is  more  markedly  displayed  when  the  second 
syllable  is  carried  forward  to  the  beginning  of  a 
fresh  bar,  as : — 


i 


ZGZ 


kind    -    ness, 


21 


-&-^ 


rs     m 


cy. 


peace     -    ful, 


-jtjn 


ing, 


180  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

In  these  cases  the  singers  follow  the  musical 
accent,  whereas  the  rhetorical  accent,  in  which  the 
second  syllable  is  sung  delicately,  should  always  be 
followed  if  the  characteristic  feature  of  the  word 
is  to  be  imparted  to  the  listener.  Special  care 
should  be  taken  with  phrases  which  have  feminine 
endings. 


KEY-WORDS. 

The  next  thing  which  claims  attention  is  the 
dramatic  or  descriptive  import  of  the  words.  But 
it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  it  is  only  one  word 
in  a  sentence  or  several  sentences  which  demands 
graphic  picturing.  This  word  I  call  the  key-word, 
as  it  decides  the  import  of  the  sentence.  There  are 
certain  words  which  seem  to  epitomise  the  leading 
idea  of  the  sentences  in  which  they  occur  in  such  a 
way  that  if  these  words  be  missing  the  other  words 
have  no  meaning.  This  key-word  or  words  needs 
emphasising  sometimes  graphically,  sometimes 
quietly,  according  to  the  sentiment.  If  more  than 
this  be  done,  over-emphasis  results,  which  in  many 
cases  is  worse  than  under-emphasis.  The  words 
"  Take  all  the  Prophets  of  Baal,  let  not  one  of 
them  escape  us,  bring  all  and  slay  them,"  are 
regarded  as  a  very  dramatic  series  of  short 
sentences,  and  yet  the  only  words  which  are 
specially  emphasised  with  strenuous  utterance 
and  dramatic  colouring  are  "  Take  "  and 
"Slay  them." 

Even  in  the  lurid  "Demons'  Chorus"  in  Gerontius 
the  only  words  which  call  for  special  emphasis  and 
tone-colour  are  "  What's  a  saint "  and  "  Psalm 
droners."      The  fact  is  that  the  mind  is  satisfied 


KEY-WORDS 


181 


with  the  graphic  key-word  or  words  in  a  sentence. 
Care  must  be  taken,  therefore,  to  secure  the  proper 
presentment  of  these  key-words,  especially  when, 
as  sometimes  happens,  these  words  are  unfamiliar. 

The  following  are  a  few  examples  of  words  and 
how  to  sing  them.  Words  like  "  flashed "  want 
singing  with  emphatic  "  fl "  and  quickly  uttered 
sibilant,  and  the  final  "t"  sound  must  be  well  defined. 
To  get  a  proper  "  f  "  the  lips  must  be  made  almost 
to  close  so  as  to  get  a  real  buzz.  The  rush  of  air 
at  "  sh  "  must  be  rapid,  and  the  carrying  glide 
uh  must  come  at  the  end  of  "  t "  to  give  it  clear 
definition. 

11  He  shall  die "  (Elijah)  demands  excess  of 
aspirate,  a  hard  tone,  and  a  fiercely-set  mouth.  In 
the  phrase  "  Of  those  that  hate  him  "  (The  Veil) 
the  word  "  hate  "  wants  a  hard,  steam-whistle  tone, 
almost  a  shriek.  How  to  sing  the  words  "slay 
them"  (Judith)  I  have  referred  to  on  page  157. 
In  "  able  to  pierce "  (Blest  Pair  of  Sirens)  the 
explodent  "p"  must  be  well-defined,  and  the 
final  must  be  a  staccato- making  sibilant.  "Woe" 
(King  Saul)  should  show  the  spirit  of  hopeless 
gloom  by  means  of  cloudy  tone  with  a  sob-like 
swell  in  the  word.  A  particularly  fine  example  of 
the  effect  of  characteristic  diction  is  found  in  the 
following  : — 

Walford  Davies,  Everyman. 
Bass,  p  .       z==^m 

3=ti 


PFg 


s§ 


^z^ 


-*FF 


ZCXL 


=£3: 


I     lie  here  in    cor  -  ners 


Trussed  and  piled  so    high, 


Ty-N 


¥*=* 


^ 


fr=  z  etc- 


And  in  chests  I'm  locked  so 


fast. 


182  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

When  this  was  sung  real  staccato,  with  nasal  tone 
and  coloured  by  the  mocking  spirit  of  the  singers, 
Dr.  Davies  was  so  pleased  that  he  stopped  the 
choir  and  said,  "  Oh,  you  horrors  !  how  can  you  be 
so  cynical  ?  " 

The  function  of  diction  is  to  invest  words  with 
fragrant  charm  and  brightness,  as  well  as  to  fill 
them  with  terror.  Therefore  delicate  phrases  like 
14  and  the  gossips  "  and  "  Hoist  up  your  sails  of 
silk"  (Olaf),  "Blessed  are  the  men"  (Elijah), 
"Sleep"  (King  Saul),  "  O,  pure  in  heart"  (Golden 
Legend)  should  be  made  a  delightful  memory  by 
means  of  gentle  pressures,  the  perfect  closing  of 
the  lips  at  the  explodents  "  b  "  and  "  p,"  and  the 
graceful  use  of  the  carrying  glide  uh. 

BREATHY-TONE  AND  BREATH-AFFLUX. 

One  aspect  of  characterization  in  diction  which 
has  been  overlooked  in  the  past  is  the  important 
part  which  breathy-tone  and  breath-afflux  may  be 
made  to  play  in  choral  singing.  It  is  astonishing 
how  few  solo-vocalists  and  still  fewer  choralists 
take  advantage  of  using  breath  with  the  tone  or 
after  the  sound,  as  in  breath-afflux.  The  surprise 
is  greater  when  we  remember  the  great  models 
Reeves  and  Santley,  who  made  much  use  of  this 
adjunct  of  artistic  singing.  With  respect  to  choral- 
singing,  the  natural  objection  that  one  has  to 
breathy-tone,  and  the  fear  that  the  occasional  use  of 
this  special  production  may  develop  into  habitual 
use,  may  in  part  account  for  the  non-use  of  this 
accomplishment.  But  I  believe  the  neglect  is  due 
to  conductors  not  knowing  how  to  get  a  large  body 
of  singers  to  manage  it  successfully.     The  way  I 


BREATHY-TONE  183 

set  about  getting  the  choir  to  sing  in  this   manner 
is  as  follows  : — 

(1)  I  decide  upon  the  special  kind  of  tone — what 
degree  of  breathiness — is  wanted. 

(2)  I  practise  privately  until  I  can  personally 
produce  the  desired  effect. 

(3)  This  model  is  then  patterned  to  the  choir. 

(4)  I  make  full  allowance  for  the  spirit  of  distrust 
and  fear  of  new  effects  which  afflicts  all  amateur 
singers,  and  do  not  give  up  in  disgust  when  I  find 
that  singers  do  not  respond  or  are  openly  sceptical 
of  and  unsympathetic  to  what  I  am  trying  to  teach 
them.  As  it  is  the  unknown  that  is  the  terrible, 
I  know  that  their  suspicion  of  the  strange  demand 
will  grow  less  and  less  as  the  effect  is  studied 
more  and  more. 

(5)  When,  after  many  attempts,  the  effect  is 
perfected,  I  compliment  the  choir  on  their  achieve- 
ment, and  everybody,  including  the  conductor,  is 
happy.  Then  the  many  bad  quarters  of  an  hour 
are  forgotten,  and  another  asset  is  permanently 
added  to  the  armoury  of  expression. 

By  means  of  breathy-tone  many  shades  of 
characterization  can  be  expressed  in  a  w.ay  that 
other  means  cannot  touch.  It  must  be  borne  in 
mind  that  whenever  breathy-tone  is  introduced  for 
dramatic  or  picturesque  effect  it  must  be  done  in  an 
unmistakable  manner,  or  the  cloudiness  of  tone 
arising  from  only  partially  doing  it  will  be  put 
down  to  bad  tone  and  properly  condemned,  whereas 
if  the  tone  be  almost  a  negligible  quantity  and  the 
words  are  spoken  in  a  kind  of  stage  whisper,  then 
the  intention  is  made  manifest  and  appreciated 
accordingly. 


1 84  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

The  following  are  a  few  cases  where  breathy-tone 
should  or  must  be  used  to  get  the  proper  spirit  of 
the  situation : — 

11  Will  then  the  Lord  be  no  more  God  in  Zion  " 
(Elijah)  (expressive  of  fretful  despair). 

"  Let  Him  be  God"  (Elijah)  (solemn  awe). 

"  Upon  your  faces  fall"  (reverential submission). 

"  Then  for  a  moment  the  Veil  was  lifted  and  the 
Face  was  there "  (The  Veil)  (overpowering 
solemnity). 

"  And  none  had  seen  the  stranger  pass  "  (Olaf) 
(mysterious  surprise). 

"Who  hath  you  these  tidings  brought"  (Everyman) 
(fearsome  inquiry). 

11  There  is  a  spectre  somewhere  near  "  (Spectre' s 
Bride)  (hushed  affright). 

BREATH-AFFLUX. 

Closely  allied  to  breathy-tone  is  breath-afflux, 
that  is,  the  substitution  of  breath  for  what  would 
otherwise  be  sound  in  the  singing  of  a  word,  such 
breath  giving  a  kind  of  upward  inflection  to  the 
breath  sound  produced.  The  difficulty  of  getting 
this  done  by  a  large  choir  is  due  to  their  amateur 
fear  of  overdoing  it.  When  it  is  first  attempted, 
the  affluxion  of  breath  is  practically  a  minus 
quantity,  through  the  sound  being  continued  too 
long.  To  inspire  singers  with  courage  and  to  give 
them  the  proper  lead,  pattern  the  model  as 
frequently  as  you  would  to  a  professional  pupil, 
emphasising  the  fact  that  the  sound  must  be  merged 


WHEN  NOT  TO  SAY  WORDS       185 

into  a  swift  current  (afflux)  of  breath  as  soon  as  it 
is  struck.  By  this  means  choristers  are  able  to  give 
convincing  characterization  to  rapturous  delight, 
as  in  "  Ah !  my  heart  upbounds "  (Bavarian 
Highlands) ;  longing  desire,  as  in  "  O  !  may  we  soon 
again  renew  that  song "  {Blest  Pair  of  Sirens) ; 
overwhelming  grief,  as  in  "  Mors "  (Verdi's 
Requiem) ;  dramatic  affright,  as  in  "  Ah "  (last 
word  of  Samson  and  Delilah);  wild  jubilation,  as 
in  "  Hooch  "    [Wedding  of  Shon  Maclean). 

Although  the  opportunity  of  using  breath-afflux 
may  only  occur  once  in  a  work,  its  successful 
accomplishment  reveals  a  mastery  of  technique 
which  captivates  an  audience  and  gives  distinction 
to  a  performance.  Therefore  conductors  should 
not  let  opportunities  for  its  introduction  pass,  as 
has  been  so  often  done. 


WHEN    NOT    TO    SAY    WORDS. 

In  the  saying  of  words  it  sometimes  happens 
that  artistic  discrimination  has  to  be  exercised.  It 
is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  eye  can  only  definitely 
see  one  thing  at  a  time — the  object  which  is  on  the 
point  of  sight.  Similarly  the  ear  can  only  hear 
closely  one  sound  or  series  of  sounds.  Therefore 
in  cases  where,  through  several  phrases  being 
spoken  together,  the  words  come  into  conflict  with 
each  other,  tending  towards  a  jumble  of  sounds,  it 
is  necessary  to  discriminate  between  the  principal 
words  and  those  of  less  importance.  Having 
decided  this  point,  act  boldly.  Ask  the  subsidiary 
parts  merely  to  mutter  their  words,  so  as  to  enable 
the  principal  phrase  to  dominate  the  whole  for 
awhile,  as  in  The  Spectre's  Bride  : — 


186  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

DvoftAK,  The  Spectre's  Bride. 

w 


jjfti'  *l  I  J 


■I 


t 


1  Her 


ten    -    der  feet 


m 


m 


Her 

m- 


ten    -    der  feet 


•were     etc. 


^FWfi 


3 


** 


Her 


ten    -    der 


feet 


t  Her  tender  feet  were  tired  and  sore,  Her  mouth  betrayed  the  pain  she  bore,  Her 

The  reason  why  some  phrases  sound  confused  and 
indistinct  is  because  conductors  have  not  realised 
sufficiently  that  everything  written  is  not  of  the 
same  importance.  They  therefore  treat  every 
word  or  note  with  the  same  respect,  whereas  they 
should  discriminate  between  the  wheat  and  the 
chaff,  and  relegate  the  mere  filling-up  parts  to  a 
secondary  position. 


WHEN    NOT    TO    SING    WORDS. 

There  are  frequent  occasions  when,  for  descriptive 
effect,  it  is  advisable  to  speak  the  words  instead  of 
singing  them,  although  the  words  are  set  to  notes. 
This  is  best  done  when  a  word  or  phrase  is  repeated 
several  times.   Then,  to  give  variety,  and  as  a  climax, 

*  These  words  should  be  hummed  rather  than  sung. 

t  The  words   in   the  bass  part  must  be    very   clearly   and   distinctly 
irticulated. 


WHEN  NOT  TO  SING  WORDS      187 

the  word  is  spoken.  For  instance,  in  the  reiterated 
word  "  Kaw "  {Hiawatha's  Departure)  the  first 
is  sung,  the  second  harshly  semi-sung,  and  the 
last  (page  130)  spoken  with  incredulous  disdain. 
In  Gerontius  the  last  sardonic  laughs  (page  90)  are 
uttered  with  a  contemptuous,  despairing  cackle,  with 
the  sound  in  the  throat.  This  cuts  through  the 
instrumentation  and  produces  the  desired  effect. 
A  delightfully  humorous  effect  is  produced  in 
A  Franklyri's  Dogge,  by  saying  the  seventh  repetition 
of  "  Little  Bingo  "  in  a  shrill,  piping  voice.  In  the 
second  verse,  at  the  words  "  good  stingo  "  (bar  68), 
"  good  "  is  prolonged  with  a  sort  of  sepulchral  tone, 
and  "stingo"  snapped  out;  while  in  the  third  verse 
(bars  30  and  31)  the  audience  is  usually  convulsed 
by  the  words  "  by  Jingo  "  being  all  breath,  with 
emphasis  on  the  explodents  "b"  and  "j."  In 
cases  where  words  are  directed  to  be  spoken, 
great  care  and  many  trials  are  necessary  to  get 
the  choir  to  sing  with  convincing  utterance  and 
unanimity. 

It  seems  almost  an  insult  to  caution  well- 
conducted,  experienced  singers  against  making  a 
travesty  of  or  turning  to  ridicule  any  special  effects 
of  characterization.  Still,  it  is  necessary  to  do  so. 
When  anything  out  of  the  common  is  done  for  the 
first  time,  or  while  a  new  effect  is  being  developed, 
the  strangeness  of  the  idea  and  the  imperfection  of 
the  first  attempts  often  sound  so  ludicrous  that  a 
certain  number  begin  to  snigger  at  the  result. 
This  may  be  overlooked  for  a  few  times,  but  the 
spirit  of  levity  must  be  suppressed,  and  self-restraint 
substituted,  or  a  performance  will  in  whole  or  in 
part  be  spoiled  in  six  seconds.  This  has  happened 
to   my  knowledge    in    phrases    like    "He   leapt" 


188   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

{Spectre's  Bride),  the  "Demons'  Chorus"  (Gerontius), 
11  Little  Bingo,"  the  quaint  Turkomani  melody 
(Omar  Khayyam)  (page  198),  and  other  places  too 
numerous  to  mention. 


FACIAL    EXPRESSION. 

A  most  important  adjunct  to  characterization 
in  singing  is  an  animated,  mobile  facial  ex- 
pression. It  is  important  in  two  directions.  It  not 
only  promotes  good  articulation,  but  the  reflection 
in  the  face  of  the  sentiment,  be  it  laughter,  ardour, 
hate,  or  disdain,  carries  conviction  to  the  hearer. 
Unfortunately  British  singers  are  afraid  of  showing 
emotion,  and  are  especially  so  anxious  not  to  show 
it  in  their  faces  that  it  is  almost  an  impossibility  to 
get  anything  like  expressive  facial  movements. 
This  perhaps  did  not  matter  much  fifty  years  ago, 
when  we  were  more  insular  than  we  are  to-day ; 
but  now  that  we  have  to  come  into  competition 
with  the  more  volatile  or  dramatic  singers  of  the 
Continent,  it  is  imperative  that  we  acquire 
the  power  of  facial  expression  as  a  living 
commentary  on  the  words  spoken.  This  can  only 
be  done  by  the  encouragement,  stimulus,  and 
magnetic  power  of  the  conductor.  To  change 
stolidity  of  face  to  versatility  of  feature  he  must 
brace  himself  up  for  a  formidable  task.  In  showing 
the  precise  form  of  muscular  action  he  desires,  he 
must  throw  convention  aside  and  illustrate  it  in  a 
somewhat  exaggerated  manner.  If  in  response  to 
this  pattern  some  venturesome  soul  breaks  through 
the  hard  crust  of  stolidity  and  does  what 
is  wanted,  he  should  call  out  the  singer's  name  and 
commend   him    warmly.     He    should   do   this   to 


FACIAL   EXPRESSION  189 

others  at  every  favourable  opportunity,  and  make 
all  the  members  feel  a  desire  to  win  commendation. 
The  singers  must  be  shown  that  immobility  of  face 
prevents  that  free  muscular  action  of  the  articulatory 
organs  which  all  graphic  singing  demands.  By 
good-natured  banter  the  conductor  must  ridicule 
singing  a  joyful  chorus  like  the  opening  of  Faust 
(Berlioz)  with  an  immovable,  bored  countenance, 
or  the  words  "  He  shall  perish ;  let  him  die,"  with 
a  Sunday-go-to-meeting  expression  of  face.  These 
"  flank  attacks "  will  have  to  be  continued  until  a 
sort  of  standard  has  been  fixed,  and  the  fear  of 
looking  ridiculous  has  been  driven  from  the 
minds  of  the  singers.  In  attempting  this  task  let 
the  conductor,  as  an  incentive  to  perseverance, 
keep  in  mind  the  old  saw  about  dropping  water 
and  the  stone,  because  when  a  British  choir 
does  wake  up  to  its  possibilities  it  can  and  does 
unmistakably  excel  in  this  unfrequented  domain 
of  expression. 


HOW    TO    SING     DIFFERENT    STYLES   OF 
COMPOSITION. 

Some  time  ago  I  heard  a  conductor  who  was 
reading  a  criticism  of  his  concert  ask  the  question, 
"What  does  the  fellow"  (the  critic,  of  course) 
"mean  by  saying  the  chorus  was  performed  very 
well,  but  it  would  have  been  better  had  it  not  been 
rendered  in  the  style  of  a  part-song?"  This  point, 
which  is  very  obscure  to  many  conductors,  I  will 
try  to  make  clear.  To  differentiate  between  the 
style  of  singing  a  madrigal,  glee,  part-song,  and 
chorus  is  a  task  which  few  conductors  can 
undertake.     They  may  have  a  notion  that  there  are 


i go  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

differences  of  treatment,  but  their  views  on  these 
are  very  hazy.  Yet  there  are  well-defined 
characteristics  which  clearly  mark  one  class  of 
composition  from  the  other,  and  which  call  for  a 
somewhat  different  kind  of  treatment. 

We  will  take  the  simplest  form — the  part-song — 
first.  In  this  class  all  that  is  necessary  is  to  have 
a  well-defined  melody  supported  by  well-balanced 
under  parts.  The  expression  is  governed  by  the 
top  line,  be  it  soprano  or  first  tenor,  and  owing  to 
the  general  simplicity  of  the  music,  great  expression 
can  be  infused  into  the  rendering.  In  the  more 
recent  part-songs  this  does  not  absolutely  apply, 
as  much  more  independence  of  parts  is  introduced, 
— in  fact  they  often  incorporate  the  characteristics 
of  the  glee  and  madrigal,  and  have  to  be  treated  in 
similar  styles. 

The  madrigal  suffers  most  from  being  sung  in 
part-song  fashion.  The  strength  of  madrigals  lies 
in  their  "  points  of  imitation."  The  cleverness  and 
learning  displayed  in  these,  as  well  as  the  possible 
musical  effect,  are  their  chief  recommendation  from 
an  artistic  point  of  view.  It  follows  therefore  that 
the  clear  presentment  and  unfolding  of  these 
imitations  should  be  the  main  object  of  attainment 
in  singing  madrigals.  Yet  I  have  heard  dozens  of 
performances  in  which  this  feature  was  ignored, 
through  each  voice  going  on  regardless  of  the 
other,  or  of  the  claims  of  "  the  points  of  imitation." 
The  result  of  such  performances  is  disappointing  to 
general  listeners,  the  impression  being  that  the 
madrigals  are  unmelodious  and  therefore  dull. 
At  the  close  of  this  work  {see  Appendix  I.), 
a  tabulated  scheme  of  how  to  sing  madrigals  is 
given,  but  to  enable  these  tables  to  be  interpreted 


DIFFERENT   STYLES   OF  SINGING  191 

more  readily,  the  following  example  of  how  I  mark 
"  In  going  to  my  lonely  bed  "  is  given  :— 

Edwards,  "  In  going  to  my  lonely  bed." 


Andante. 


:*/q 


£- 


m      P         a  ' 


In  go    -    ing  to    my       lone 

■# (• 


ly 


rf   f 


1 — 

In         go  -  ing    to      my    lone  -  ly       bed,  my    lone  -  ly 


T—tM-i 


Stf 


In 


go   -  ing     to    my      lone 


m 


In 


go  -  ing  to     my 


3^ 


3d: 


bed, 


As       one  that  would  have 
dim.    p 


SE 


r=fc 


$E 


bed, 


£L 


As      one  that  would  have  slept, 
A        A 


S 


*        I 


-d — *- 


ly      bed,   As      one  that  would  have    slept,    I     heard    a 

A 


T=P= 


:F=T 


lone 


ly       bed, 


ig2  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

m     ' ' 


slept, 


A 

A       -#- 


P^N^ 


I       heard     a     wife 


dim.  p 

-* 0- 


I    heard    a       wife    sing    to     her 


jjP — » — «-^a=* 


wife  sing     to     her      child, 


E^^^t 


heard    a     wife 


:*=«: 


sing 


to      her 


fz 


27 


g*       g    J 


She      rock   -  ed    it      and 


\h 


She      rock   -  ed     it      and 


*—*: 


t=t 


She     rock   -    ed    it     and        ra  -  ted       k, 


{jflgt    \i    |-F=£ 


5 


#1  0 


EE^E 


She  rock  -    ed     it     and      ra  -  ted 


DIFFERENT   STYLES   OF  SINGING  193 


i 


$ 


5^ 


-P=i 


*=t 


$ 


5^ 


-^ 


Then     did     she    say, 


==fc 


p 


-£=i 


Then  did     she 
-  P 


say, 


Now 


EE^^EE 


-£ — = 


sat=^— f=F=i=g 


Then      did    she    say,   Now    have    I     found 
PP         P 


Then  did    she       say, 


Now 


have    I      found 


It  will  be  noticed  that  marked  entries  are  the 
centre  of  interest.  In  the  homogeneous  plain 
chordings  the  soprano  takes  the  premier  place,  as 
in  a  part-song.  This  affords  a  welcome  period  of 
repose.  Careful  analysis  is  often  required  to  ferret 
out  the  imitations,  and  still  more  skill  to  get  the 
imitating  voice  heard ;  but  by  bold  anti-part-song 
singing,  and,  may  be,  borrowing  and  lending  voices, 
this  can  always  be  accomplished. 

The  glee  differs  from  the  part-song  and  madrigal 
in  that  it  is  usually  laid  out  to  give,  at  sundry  times, 
solo  phrases  and  prolonged  passages  to  each  voice 
in  turn,  and  when  these  melodious  tit-bits  or  even 
long  sentences  occur,  this  favoured  part  must  be 
allowed  to  dominate  the  other  voices,  although  they 
may  not  be  "  imitative"  as  in  the  madrigal.  When 
these  special  melodic  phrases  are  absent  from  the 
lower  parts,  the  soprano  takes  the  lead,  as  in  a 
part-song.  When  a  glee  includes  points  of  imita- 
tion, as  it  frequently  does,  these  must  be  treated  in 
madrigal  fashion. 


194   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


The  following  excerpts  show  how  the  dominating 
parts  of  a  glee  are  treated  : — 


* 


(Tending  to  Mezzo  if  necessary.) 


Cooke,  "  Strike  the  Lyre." 
■A 


r}w-rr?:  i  Pt 


p 


«: 


i 

I     love 

■f  '         ! 


O  i   « 


the 


sweep 


Me  g  C  P  It 


frr-.f- 


Of  harp  and  trumpet's 

A/A-  24  4 


2fe2 


' 


^ 


*    m 


1 — r 

I    love  the  proud  and  solemn  sweep  Of  harp  and  trumpet's 

1  2  3 


(In  this  section  the  Bass  part  should  predominate  in  bars  i  and  5  to  10.^ 


TT 

the     mid 


night 


har-mo-ny,  Like  swell 


1     r 

ings     of 


har-mo-ny,  Like    swell 
4  5 


(Contraltos  and  Tenors  chief  parts.) 


^fefe^^rt 


bids  the    anx  -  ious     lov      -    er 


S£i 


w^: 


w  r    r  I1  =tTt 


46 


46 


47 


DIFFERENT   STYLES   OF  SINGING    195 


zhr*    i  "    'i  l7-! =H 

=t= 

— 1     " 

N^#=P 

4*- 

-f-1 

turn,       The      smile                 of 

beau 

- 

ty 

Wei      -      come, 

wel 

- 

come, 

(Tenon  and  Basses  principal  parts.) 

1       f*eL.  4 

— t  _ 

M- 

-F-j- 

etc. 


59 


60 


61 


(Sopranos  chief  part.) 
flies 


(Contraltos  assert  themselves.) 


■fcfc 


^ 


ip^P 


+  4\?  * 


tttt 


ipH^ 


K  1  r     r 


flies, 


J      * 


flies, 


flies, 


m 


J-JJiii  J.J1 1  Ms 


■H1*! — r- 


prm 


(Tenor  dominates.) 


And     dis 
70  71 

(Basses  should  cres. 
molto  and  be  the  chief 
part  in  next  bar.) 


i 


* 


T 

dis 


z± 


dis 

A 


g=E 


I 
cord 

J. 


flies. 


-o 


cord 


»  F 


-P-S 


:S=*= 


•  * 


I — I 


f-t 


con  forza. 


flies 


84  85 

(Bass  run  should  be  the  chief  feature  here.) 


86 


1 96  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


(Contralto  run  should 
standout  well.) 


(Sopraw*  here  resume  pre-eminence.) 


r=C* 


W 


^=2 


m 


H 


^=rs~t— 


— 9 


flies. 


^ 


it 


%l 


dis 


_GL 


cord       flies  . 


at 


etc. 


m 


f==&r^z-a$ 


dis    - 


cord      flies  ...     at 


87 


The  chorus  usually  needs  to  be  treated  in  a  broader 
style  than  either  the  madrigal,  glee,  or  part-song; 
and  being  very  often  framed  on  bigger  lines,  and 
not  being  bound  by  any  convention,  it  generally 
includes  all  the  attributes  of  the  three  classes 
already  considered,  to  which  is  added  fugal  treat- 
ment. Therefore  a  chorus  frequently  requires  great 
variety  of  treatment.  The  answer  to  the  question  of 
the  conductor  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter  is 
that  he  had  probably  let  the  soprano  dominate  the 
whole  instead  of  giving  emphasis  to  the  inner  and 
lowest  voices  in  points  of  imitation,  had  neglected 
to  give  prominence  to  the  solo  phrases  in  the  lower 
voices,  and  had  imposed  too  much  restraint  in 
working  up  to  a  climax — all  of  which  points  must 
be  attended  to  when  performing  a  chorus. 

Sometimes  a  chorus  is  built  upon  one  plan — 
fugal,  madrigalian,  or  part-song — in  which  case  the 
particular  style  dominates  the  rendering  ;  for 
instance,  "He  that  shall  endure"  (see  page  159  ft"., 
supra)  should  be  sung  in  madrigal  fashion  in  the 
working  up  of  the  principal  and  secondary  subjects, 
which  are  repeated  so  frequently  in  imitative  form. 


DIFFERENT   STYLES   OF  SINGING    197 


The  following  Example  shows  how  I  mark  for 
expression  the  first  six  bars  of  Bach's  great  motet: — 


Chorus  I. 

Allegro  modtrato. 


J.  S.  Bach,  Sing  ye  to  the  Lord. 


$ 


^ 


T. 


S=S 


/=-«£ 


iH 


Sing      . 
Sin 


**r 


Sing 
Sin 


m 


Chorus  II 


sempre. 


JtfcS 


Sing       ye, 
Sin   ■■   get, 


3E 

1: 


sing      ye, 
sin    -  get, 


&m 


Sing      ye, 
Sin    -   get, 


sing       ye, 
sin    -    get, 


Sing       ye, 
Sin  -   get, 


sing  ye, 
sin  -  get, 
J^P 


m&% 


B, 


Sing      ye, 

Sin    '  get, 


sing       ye, 
sin  -   get, 


1 98   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


i 


>"  '  Lr  f 


I 


:fqc 


-as: 


**^ 


i 


:^ 


nr: 


sing 


* 


ye. 
g't. 


sing 
*i  ji  - 


~=±: 


sing 


I 


ye. 

g't. 


sing 
sin 


ye, 


^ 


sing 


ye. 


sing 
sin 


ye. 


*L-2 ": 


sing 

nil 


ye. 

g't. 


sing 

SIN 


ye. 


DIFFERENT   STYLES   OF   SINGING    199 


^ft 


•  md 


t 


?  r     t?7~r^wt 


fe-U-L-' 


fcfct 


^n 


I 


E  f  **r* 


F  m mc£- 


V  \JLT 


ir^wr—w 


sae= 


^      w/ —  -  >»/ 


izsza^o: 


sing 


i 


j>z»: 


7»/ 


^FH 


Sg 


sing       ye, 
sin    -  get. 


sing 

sin 


^"1 ]    S 


^r>T 


sing       ye, 
5J»    -  get, 


sing 

SIM 


2oo  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

Bearing  the  foregoing  points  in  mind,  it  will  be 
an  easy  matter  for  conductors  to  get  each  style  of 
composition  sung  in  the  manner  appropriate  to  it. 

A  caution  is  needed  here.  Some  people  suppose 
that  it  is  only  part-songs  which  should  be  sung  with 
ultra-refinement.  This  is  a  mistake.  Every  class 
of  composition — even  the  choruses  of  Bach — may 
be  and  should  be  sung  with  ethereal  delicacy  if  the 
sentiment  demands  it.  No  rendering,  be  it  vigorous 
or  emotional  or  sentimental,  should  be  open  to  the 
charge  of  being  "  part-songy  "  if  the  characteristics 
of  the  class  of  the  composition  are  preserved. 
Therefore  do  the  correct  generic  thing,  and  if  critics 
11  say," — well !  "  let  them  say." 


THE     CRUX     OF     ARTISTRY. THE      ELUSIVE 

"  THREE     PER    CENT." 

Conductors  and  choristers  generally  fail  to 
realise  how  small  a  percentage  in  actual  work  done 
lies  between  a  fairly  good  and  an  excellent 
performance,  and  that  this  excellence  is  the  result 
of  attention  to  seemingly  insignificant  details.  But 
so  it  is.  Take  three  performances  of  a  given  piece 
at  a  competition — one  good,  the  second  very  good, 
and  the  third  excellent.  It  will  be  found  that  in 
the  notes  sung  and  the  words  said,  and  the  general 
scheme  of  expression — constituting,  say,  97  per  cent, 
of  the  actual  work  presented  during  the  performance- 
there  is  little  to  choose  between  them,  each  choir 
being  fairly  correct.  But  the  spirit,  the  verve, 
the  subtle  points  of  expression,  both  in  tone  and 
diction,  of  the  one  choir  place  it  far  above 
the  other  two.  Their  ebb  and  flow  of  force,  their 
colouring    of    voice,    their    clear   diction,   due    to 


THE  CRUX  OF  ARTISTRY  201 

quick  action  of  tongue  and  lips  combined,  and 
their  carrying  glide  uh  and  convincing  facial 
expression,  seem  but  small  additions  to  the  effort 
and  skill  put  forth  by  the  other  choirs ;  but  they 
make  a  convincing  performance  which  cuts  like  a 
keen-edged  razor,  while  the  comparatively  blunt- 
edged,  ordinary  rendering  makes  little  impression. 

Unfortunately  this  three  or  five  per  cent,  spirit  or 
flavouring  takes  almost  as  much  trouble  to  obtain 
as  the  remaining  97  or  95  per  cent.  On  this 
account  both  conductor  and  conducted  frequently 
act  on  the  thought,  "  Why  should  we  have  toil 
without  end  merely  to  get  the  turn  of  a  phrase, 
the  shading  of  a  piano,  the  placing  of  a  word,  the 
colouring  of  the  voice,  and  the  changing  of 
the  countenance,  when  everything  is  satisfactory 
without  these  wearing  efforts  ?  "  They  forget  that 
it  is  this  three  or  five  per  cent,  which  is  the  elixir  of 
artistic  life,  and  makes  all  the  difference  in  the 
result.  It  is  the  difference  between  gingerbeer  and 
champagne.  The  flavour  which  counts  is  absent, 
and  its  place  is  taken  by  something  offensive. 

I  was  taking  supper  with  a  physician,  who  was  for 
the  time  on  vegetarian  diet.  He  said  that  his  meal 
had  been  spoiled  by  the  mushrooms  having  been 
burnt  in  the  cooking — pleasure  turned  to  nausea  by 
the  smallest  of  percentages. 

When  I  spoke  to  Professor  Arnold,  the  great 
authority  on  steel,  on  the  importance  of  small 
percentages  in  securing  artistic  results  in  singing, 
he  said  he  quite  believed  it,  as  the  difference 
between  common  steel  and  high-grade  steel  was 
less  than  one  per  cent.  To  illustrate  this  he  kindly 
provided  me  with  photographs  of  two  specimens 
of  steel — one   specimen  perfect,  the  other  ruined 


202   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

through  containing  one-hundredth  part  of  one 
per  cent,  chromium  less  than  the  other. 

The  moral  is  that  conductors  must  not  despise, 
as  beneath  notice,  the  most  insignificant  details 
which  tend  to  a  perfect  rendering  of  a  piece.  The 
amount  of  work  required  to  get  this  distilled  spirit 
of  artistry  may  seem  out  of  proportion  to  the  result, 
but  the  necessity  is  laid  upon  them  to  reach  the 
goal  of  excellence,  otherwise  they  become  fossilized. 

A  good  solvent  of  the  difficulty  is  to  act  on  the 
principle  which  I  have  found  necessary  to  adopt, 
namely:  To  achieve  any  artistic  ideal,  give  three 
times  the  amount  of  work  and  attention  to  it  that 
you  consider  might  to  be  necessary.  When  you 
have  adopted  this  as  your  standard  you  will  give, 
coil  amore,  the  additional  labour  required.  Sec 
Appendix  I.  for  illustrations  how  to  mark  for 
expression  various  types  of  compositions. 


203 


ANALYSIS    OF    THE    MESSIAH. 

THINKING    IN    CONTINENTS. 

In  a  previous  chapter  I  remarked  that  in  the 
matter  of  artistic  phrasing — the  perfection  of  each 
note  and  phrase,  and  the  linking  them  up  so  as  to 
form  a  complete  and  satisfactory  whole — we  should 
think  in  continents  rather  than  in  a  few  isolated 
notes,  or  even  a  complete  chorus.  To  make  the 
performance  of  an  oratorio  meet  the  demands  of 
an  artistic  interpretation,  each  chorus  must  be 
performed  with  some  reference  to  what  has  gone 
before  and  what  follows  after,  so  as  to  secure 
proper  contrasts,  sufficient  variety  in  treatment,  and 
the  correct  musical  centre  of  gravity. 

I  propose  to  show  how  to  do  this  by  giving  a 
brief  outline  and  analysis  of  my  way  of  interpreting 
The  Messiah,  with  sundry  reasons  why  I  adopt  this 
particular  rendering. 

My  reasons  for  illustrating  "  thinking  in 
continents "  by  means  of  Handel's  great  epic 
are:  i.  It  is  so  well  known  that  the  explanations 
can  be  easily  followed.  2.  Its  possibilities  of 
variation  of  treatment  seem  to  most  conductors  to 
be  so  remote,  that  if  it  can  be  shown  that  even  in 
the  hackneyed  and  non-dramatic  Messiah  there  are 
possibilities   of   obtaining   pleasing,   effective,   and 


204  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

artistic  diversity,  it  should  be  certainly  possible  to 
secure  telling  contrasts  of  effect  in  more  modern 
dramatic  works.  3.  I  have  had  so  many  applica- 
tions from  conductors  to  explain  by  letter  and 
marked  copies  how  to  perform  certain  (or  all)  of  the 
choruses,  that  this  chapter  may  meet  a  real  want. 

I  shall  deal  with  each  number  seriatim,  but  I 
shall  merely  glance  at  the  instrumental  and  solo 
portions,  reserving  for  the  choruses  a  more 
complete  and  comprehensive  treatment. 

No.  1.  The  Overture.  The  Grave,  though 
marked  M.  69  for  each  crotchet,  should  be  taken 
much  more  slowly.  I  take  it  M.  100,  beating  eight 
quavers  in  a  bar.  In  the  repeat,  the  wind 
instruments  tacent  and  the  strings  play  real  piano 
or  pianissimo.  This  stately  movement  prepares  the 
way  for  the  finely-contrasted  Allegro,  which  I  take 
at  or  about  crotchet  M.  132.  The  oft-recurring 
subject  should  be  given  boldly  in  whatever  part  it 
appears.  At  bar  26  there  should  be  a  dim.  to 
bar  27,  after  which  each  successive  bar  to  bar  32 
should  be  played  with  marked  accent  and  increasing 
power.  A  poco  dim.  follows  for  three  bars,  when 
the  subject  is  re-stated  in  the  first  violins.  At 
bar  48  there  is  another  dim.,  and  at  bar  50  a 
cumulative  passage  begins  (as  at  bar  27)  and 
progresses  vigorously  to  bar  57,  when  the  subject 
is  again  introduced,  and  is  bandied  about  with 
vehemence  till  the  pause.  The  concluding 
Adagio  should  be  very  loud,  broad,  and 
impressive,  reinforced  by  the  organ,  if  this  be  a 
good  blending  instrument  and  in  tune. 

No.  2.  "  Comfort  ye."  This  is  usually  sung  a 
little  slower  than  quaver  80,  but  this  speed,  with 
due  regard  to  tempo  rubato,  is  correct. 


THE  MESSIAH  205 

No.  3.  "Every  valley."  The  general  tendency  is 
to  sing  this  rather  quicker  than  crotchet  M.  84,  and 
it  gains  in  effect  by  being  taken  about  M.  96.  In 
both  the  above  solos,  see  that  the  instrumental 
interludes  are  firmly  and  cleanly  given. 

No.  4.  "  And  the  glory."  Here  we  come  to  the 
real  object  of  this  analysis,  which  is  to  be  a  review 
of  the  potentialities  of  the  choruses  of  the  oratorio, 
and  to  suggest  means  of  providing  variety  of 
treatment  and  contrasts  in  effect  during  the  working 
up  of  each  chorus,  through  various  crises,  to  the 
ultimate  glorious  climax  of  the  final  "  Grand 
Amen."  Therefore  the  points  to  be  kept  before 
us  are  (a)  the  features  of  interest  in  each  chorus, 
when  considered  as  a  unity  complete  in  itself,  and 
(b)  the  unfolding  of  those  special  characteristics  in 
each  chorus  which,  in  the  scheme  of  expression, 
allow  of  a  different  treatment  so  as  to  introduce 
variety  and  contrast  between  the  various  choruses, 
and  thus  prevent  monotony  of  effect. 

11  And  the  glory."  Being  the  opening  chorus, 
great  pains  should  be  taken  to  make  a  good  impres- 
sion from  the  commencement.  It  is  a  confident, 
prophetic  assertion  of  the  coming  victory  of  the 
Lord,  and  therefore  of  masculine  expression. 
M.  100  is  rather  too  slow.  I  take  it  about 
112,  with  marked  rhythm.  The  opening  words 
"And  the  glory"  should  be  most  clearly  articulated, 
with  a  swell  on  the  first  syllable  of  "  glory." 

The  phrasing  is  as  follows  : — 


.      — -4-r  P     F 

5    g  '    •'      sjr 


J5=& 


31     * 


etc. 

And    the       glo    -   ry,  the       glo  -  ry    of      the      Lord 

{not  Laud). 


206  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

This  pattern  is  followed  in  every  part  in  which  the 
subject  appears.  To  secure  this,  the  passage  should, 
in  rehearsal,  be  sung  in  unison  by  all  the  parts  a 
dozen  times  over,  to  get  clear  words.  I  attach 
much  importance  to  the  clear  saying  of  the  final 
"  d  "  and  the  initial  "  th,"  and  the  smooth  glide 
to  uh  in  glo(uh)ry.  I  tell  the  choir  to  hold 
the  audience  by  their  glittering  speech,  as  the 
Ancient  Mariner  held  the  wedding-guest  by  his 
glittering  eye. 

Here  we  must  make  a  digression  to  consider  the 
question  of  the  reinforcement  of  a  part  to  strengthen 
the  clear  definition  of  an  important  musical  subject 
or  phrase.  It  will  be  observed  that  the  contralto 
part  is  so  very  low  that  contraltos  cannot  sing  it 
loudly.  This  sometimes  gives  the  impression  that 
the  contraltos  are  weak,  as  at  a  recent  festival  in 
Yorkshire  (not  Sheffield)  one  of  the  London  critics 
spoke  of  the  "weak  contraltos,"  citing  this  entry 
as  proof,  whereas  the  contraltos  in  question  were 
a  splendid  body  of  singers,  the  very  reverse  of 
weak. 

To  obviate  this  false  impression,  I  always  ask  the 
second  sopranos  (whom,  as  I  have  mentioned  before, 
I  regard  as  auxiliaries  of  the  contraltos,  to  be  called 
on  at  any  time)  to  sing  with  the  contraltos  here,  and 
also  at  bars  43-46  at  the  words  "  and  all  flesh  shall 
see  it  together."  By  this  means  all  sense  of  weak- 
ness is  eliminated,  and  the  hearers  are  satisfied, 
because,  as  I  have  remarked  before,  people  judge 
by  the  results,  not  by  the  processes. 

The  other  parts  take  up  the  strain  jubilantly,  but 
chief  emphasis  should  be  placed  on  the  basses, 
because  they,  having  the  original  theme,  are  the 
chief  part.     This  same  feature  should  be  specially 


THE   MESSIAH 


207 


brought  out  at  the  first  tutti  crisis  at  bars  33-38. 
Here  the  second  tenors  might  reinforce  the  basses. 
A  very  impressive  feature  is  the  contralto  phrase 
(bar  29),  when  performed  as  follows  : — 


*M 


pna; 


U-J    i— 1- 


JH 


t 


=t 


be      re  veal ed;  etc. 

123        123        123 


Following  the  advice  and  rule  given  on  page  67,  the 
contraltos  might  take  two  breaths  in  this  phrase. 

Full  advantage  must  always  be  taken  of  all 
points  of  imitation,  in  order  to  keep  up  the  interest ; 
therefore  at  bar  97  the  contraltos  must  be  reinforced 
by  the  second  sopranos  to  make  the  following 
phrases  dominate  the  whole  for  three  bars : — 


Ms* 


^=t 


the    Lord        hath     spo  -   ken       it, 


hath 


i 


fe 


-o  • 


for    the    mouth 


of        the       Lord 


The  climax  utterance  of  the  principal  subject  by 
the  sopranos  at  bar  107  must  be  given  with  great 
brilliance,  to  which  end  it  should  be  phrased  as 
follows  : — 


p 


$M 


it 


0  *  1  p 


f^w^r&^mz 


And  the    glo  -  ry,  the    glo  -  ry,  the    glo  -  ry    of    the    Lord 


208  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

In  the  peroration  (bars  131  to  end)  the  tempo 
might  become  a  little  more  stately,  but  in  any  case 
the  men  must  emphasise  the  words  "  mouth  "  and 
"  Lord  "  by  giving  a  firm  swell  on  each  word,  and 
at  the  Adagio  an  impressive  close  must  be  secured 
by  singing  it  with  great  breath-pressure. 

No.  5,  "Thus  saith,"  and  No.  6,  "But  who 
may  abide,"  calling  for  no  special  remark, 
we  will  consider  No.  7,  "  And  He  shall  purify." 
The  long  runs,  made  up  of  two,  three,  and 
four  divisions,  being  the  distinguishing  feature 
of  this  chorus,  extra  attention  must  be  given  to 
them  until  they  are  fluently  performed :  there 
is  much  difficulty  in  preventing  the  first  two 
words  running  into  each  other  and  sounding  like 
"an  dee."  I  find  it  advisable  and  preferable  to 
take  breath  after  "  and  "  ;  then  the  aspirate  can  be 
given  clearly  if  the  words  "  And  He  shall  purify  " 
are  produced  near  the  lips.  To  ensure  clearness  let 
the  passage  be  sung  by  the  whole  choir  in  unison 
until  perfect.  There  should  be  an  accent  at  the 
beginning  of  each  division,  that  is,  on  the  odd  beats, 
but  not  on  the  even  beats,  with  a  general  crescendo 
to  the  end  of  the  phrase.  When  singing  the  four 
reiterated  notes,  see  that  the  attack  is  clean.  The 
homophonic  phrase  "  That  they  may  offer  unto  the 
Lord,"  &c,  must  in  each  case  be  given  forte,  and 
at  the  end  of  the  chorus  fortissimo. 

No.  8.    "  Behold  a  Virgin."     No  special  remark. 

No.  9.  "  O  Thou  that  tellest."  The  compass  of 
this  solo  lies  in  a  rather  awkward  part  of  the  voice 
for  contralto  singers,  as  they  are  seldom  able  to  sing 
here  with  any  power  of  voice.  To  counterbalance 
this  weakness,  conductors  must  instruct  the 
orchestra  to  play  more  piano  than  they  otherwise 


THE   MESSIAH 


209 


would.  In  the  interludes  get  as  much  tone  as 
possible,  to  prevent  giving  a  colour  of  weakness  to 
the  whole.  In  the  choral  section  several  new 
features  present  themselves,  the  chief  point  of 
contrast  being  the  pianissimo  phrases.  There  is  a 
shading  off  of  the  phrases  instead  of  the  usual 
crescendo  effect  heard  in  previous  choruses : — 


m 


Chorus. 

■A 


dim. 


it 


£^P 


V — V — >- 


O  Thou    that   tell -est  good    ti-dingsto     Zi  -  on,  good 


pi 


A. 


T. 


fr  ft    M 


^Ife 


■L 


dim. 


&=£ 


O  Thou         that  tell -est  good 


J     J  3 


S 


95 


dings  to 


Je 


sa  -  lem ; 


mf 


±± 


dim. 


O 


£EE* 


^^^E 


^=3-z 


Thou  that    tell  -  est    good       ti  -  dings  to      Zi  -  on, 


&ttf£lZ^^£ 


±z 


ti  -  dings  to      Zi  -   on,  good       ti  -  dings   to      Je 


2io  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


The  sopranos,  basses,  and  tenors  each  enter  forte 
boldly— taking  breath  after  "  Thou  " — and  then  in 
turn  they  each  dim.  after  the  first  four  notes.  The 
contraltos  enter  mezzo,  and  the  other  parts  follow 
suit  until  the  word  "  arise,"  which  is  given  forte  with 
a  rousing^.  "  Say  unto  the  cities  is  mezzo,  but 
"  Behold  your  God  "  fortissimo.  This  is  maintained 
till  bar  16,  which  is  sung  as  follows  :  — 

molto  cm. 

t-r. fP -= 


I. 


^E 


5-P- 


2 


:e 


glo 


ry       of 


-7- 


the        Lord 


i 


^pj_^_il^jfi 


m 


ry       of   .    .     the         Lord 


*S 


*=± 


glo 


ry       of    .    .     the 


Lord     .     . 
i       a      3 


UEE 


Jt : 


up 


thee. 


0 


m 


m 


-*s- 


ris    -     en 


up 


thee. 


an 


ns 


en 


up 


up 


thee. 

m 

thee. 


THE   MESSIAH 


211 


It  is  observed  that  the  sopranos,  tenors,  and 
basses  sing  piano  after  the  first  beat  till  the  fifth 
beat.  This  is  to  allow  the  beautiful  phrase  of  the 
contraltos — strengthened  by  the  second  sopranos — 
to  stand  out  prominently.  The  molto  crescendo  which 
follows  adds  vigour  to  the  whole  section.  Bar  19 
is  sung  mezzo  with  dim.  to  the  word  "behold," 
which  is  given  ff.  At  "  The  glory  of  the  Lord  " 
the  force  is  reduced,  and,  as  though  filled  with  awe, 
the  contraltos  sing — 


The  glo  -  ry  of    the    Lord        is     ris     -     en 
PP  molto  cres.    ff  \ 


The  glo  -  ry  of    the     Lord        is     ris 
molto  cres. 


ff 


until  the  molto  cres.,  which  anticipates  the  change 
of  thought  at  the  uplifting  words,  "  is  risen  upon 
thee,"  which  are  sung  fortissimo. 

No.  10.  "  For  behold,  darkness."  Should 
commence  pp,  as  though  the  sound  were  emerging 
from  void  and  darkness,  then  cres.  to  forte  on  the 
fifth  quaver  in  bar  4,  from  which  point  decres.  to 
the  entry  of  the  voice. 

No.  11.  "The  people  that  walked."  There  is 
a  disposition  on  the  part  of  some  conductors  to 
take  this  about  M.  90,  but  if  the  phrasing  marks  are 
well  observed  the  interest  will  be  maintained 
at  M.  72. 


212  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

Where  the  strings  are  in  unison  with  the  voice 
they  must  never  dispute  the  supremacy  of  the 
singer,  but  form  a  sympathetic  background.  At 
bar  1 8,  when  the  fascinating  progressions  of  the 
wood-wind  instruments  appear,  the  strings  must 
assume  a  subordinate  place,  in  order  to  allow  a 
fresh  point  of  interest — the  seldom-heard  wood- 
wind tone — to  have  a  full  chance.  The  closing 
bars  should  be  forte  in  all  instruments. 

No.  12.  "  For  unto  us  a  Child  is  born."  This 
glorious  chorus,  the  first  great  climax  of  the  work, 
must  be  treated  in  a  grand,  majestic  manner.  A 
great  deal  depends  on  utilising  the  principle  of  the 
curves  of  sound,  mentioned  previously,  by  which 
great  variety  may  be  introduced.  Some  conductors, 
who  have  not  grasped  the  secret  of  this  ebb  and 
flow  of  dynamic  force,  think  it  necessary  to  increase 
the  speed  to  M.  ioo.  This  is  a  mistake,  M.  72  to  80 
being  quite  quick  enough,  with  a  slight  accelerando 
in  the  peroration,  which  is  counterbalanced  by  the 
short  rallentando  at  the  last  ecstatic  utterance  of 
the  words,  "  The  everlasting  Father,  the  Prince 
of  peace." 

It  was  the  fashion  some  years  ago  to  sing  the 
opening  very  softly  till  the  first  grand  outburst, 
"  Wonderful."  These  sudden  contrasts  were  the 
chief  stock-in-trade  of  conductors  thirty  or  forty 
years  ago,  but  this  is  not  the  case  now.  My  plan 
is  as  follows  : — The  words  "  For  unto  us  a  Child  is 
born  "  are  sung  loudly  and  jubilantly,  and  not 
whispered  as  though  the  singers  were  ashamed  of 
the  announcement.  At  bar  8  "  unto  us  "  is  sung 
mezzo,  and  each  succeeding  utterance  is  sung 
with  rising  emotion  and  power.  The  following 
is  the  way  we  practise  the  run  of  eight  divisions  in 


THE   MESSIAH 


213 


unison  until  it  can  be  sung  without  reference  to 
a  copy : — 


mfs 


4 L 


m — S-1-^ ■■ 


i 


For     un  -  to      us     a    Child  is      born, 


cres.  jff* 


etc. 


This  unison  singing  is  necessary,  if  only  to  correct 
the  tendency  to  sing  semitones  instead  of  full  tones 
in  the  under  passing  notes. 

Another  potent  reason  for  this  unison  practice  is 
to  familiarise  the  singers  with  their  own  particular 
breathing  places  in  these  long  runs.  As  mentioned 
elsewhere,  to  secure  a  firm,  triumphant  finish 
I  tell  the  singers  they  can  take  several  breaths  in  a 
"  run,"  provided  that  those  whose  initials  range 
from  A  to  H  take  breath  on  the  first  beat,  those 
from  I  to  O  on  the  second  beat,  and  those 
from  P  to  Z  on  the  third  or  fourth  beat.  This 
explains  the  brilliant  effect  produced  by  these 
and  similar  runs,  especially  at  the  close  of 
"  His  yoke  is  easy." 


2i4  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

At  bar  49  a  fine  effect  is  produced  by  treating 
the  contralto  phrase  as  follows  : — 


molto  cres. 


be      up -on    His  sboul 


i 


-m-       -o- 
der, 


and  His 


The  contraltos  also  have  a  chance  of  distinguishing 
themselves  at  the  passage  commencing  at  bar  53. 
The  long  run  must  be  firmly  sung  mezzo  until  bar 
57,  when  a  molto  crescendo  must  be  made : — 


i=? 


** 


7 


■  1  1  1  I- 


^M 


etc. 


:**: 


*-# 


This  is  immediately  followed  by  the  tenor  phrase, 
which  is  repeated  by  the  sopranos.  If  sung  with 
firmness  and  growing  enthusiasm,  it  always  produces 
a  thrill  of  excitement : — 


*~s-f r~ 

— jf 

9*    ^-- 

cres.  f        *       '               ^>  ~_ 

w — -•-1— 

J'  *  C   El 

u»   *  k   *  L^  ^j   ^ 

and  the  government  shall  be     upon    His  shoul 


der. 


The  top  G  must  be  sung  resolutely,  with  a  fine 
swell  produced  by  breath- pressure,  as  before 
explained. 


THE   MESSIAH 


215 


The  displays  for  the  separate  parts  are  very 
effective  and  telling,  but  the  supreme  moments 
are  the  glorious  tutti  outbursts,  at  the  words 
"  Wonderful !  Counsellor !  "  &c.  To  get  the  full 
transcendent  effect  it  is  necessary  to  make  each 
word  glow  with  ardour,  by  means  of  the  well- 
managed  quick  swell,  as  follows  : — 


ten. 


ten. 


$ 


4: •-*- 


:p=s: 


±-4— fr 


■■ v-\ — 

Coun-  sel-lor ! 


Won-der-ful! 


p^m^^mm 


Won  -  der-ful ! 


Coun-  sel-lor ! 


PH 


Won  -  der-ful ! 


Coun-  sel-lor  ! 


S 


H=W- 


HPC3E 


:*=* 


Won  -  der-ful ! 


Coun  -  sel-  lor ! 


There  is  all  the  difference  in  the  world  between 
striking  the  notes  with  a  heavy  sfz  and  this  short 
fff  swell.  One  gives  a  sort  of  shock  to  the  word, 
while  the  other  makes  it  glow  with  warmth,  life, 
and  artistic  effect. 

Having  dealt  in  detail  with  the  main  features  of 
this  chorus,  I  will  now  give  a  general  display  of 
the  whole  scheme  of  expression. 


Bar. 

Beat. 

Voi 

1-6 

- 

- 

7 

- 

S 

8 

4 

s 

12 

3 

T 

13 

3 

S 

18 

C 

19 

3 

B 

216  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

u  FOR    UNTO    US    A    CHILD    IS    BORN." 

Firm  instrumental  introduction. 

To  be  sung  forte  to  "  born." 

Mezzo,  then  crescendo  to  bar  12. 

Tenor  lead,  forte. 

Third  beat,  soprano  lead,  forte.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  run  sing  mezzo, 
increase  in  loudness  every  bar  and 
finish  ff. 

Contralto  lead,  forte. 

Bass  lead,  forte.  Begin  the  run  mezzo- 
forte  and  increase  every  bar  to  end  of 
phrase. 

26  2       T        Commence  mp,   crescendo  to   the  word 

"  shoulder,"  then  crescendo  to  bar  28. 

Imitative  tenor  phrase. 

All  voices  enter  piano  ;  gradual  crescendo 
to  bar  32. 

Fortissimo  with  swells  on  the  accented 
beats ;  make  the  words  very  clear. 

General  mezzo-forte  with  rise  and  fall 
according  to  phrasing. 

Double  forte. 

Forte  entry,  with  slight  shading  off. 

Firm  entry,  with  slight  shading  off. 

Forte  entry,  mezzo-forte  at  the  beginning 
of  the  run,  which  must  be  sung  very 
clearly,  but  with  something  held  in 
reserve  until  bar  56,  which  should  be 
sung  with  all  power  possible. 

57-60     -         -         To  be  sung  like  Exx.on  page  213,  supra. 

61  -         -         All  voices  begin  mezzo,  and  crescendo  to 

"  Wonderful." 


27-29 

- 

S 

29-30 

2 

- 

32-36 

- 

- 

36-44 

- 

- 

45-49 

- 

- 

50 

- 

s 

5i 

- 

B 

52 

- 

C 

THE   MESSIAH  217 

Bar.     Beat.    Voice. 

64  -       All.     From  this  point  go  from  strength  to 

strength.  The  tempo  may  be  increased 
slightly  to  give  more  animation  and 
excitement.  At  bar  86  as  light  rail., 
to  give  emphasis  to  the  words,  is 
effective.  The  tempo  is  resumed  by 
the  instruments,  and  at  the  last  two 
bars  the  full  organ  should  increase 
the  power  of  the  fortissimo  close. 

No.  13.  The  "Pastoral  Symphony."  At  the  open- 
ing the  wood-wind  should  be  allowed  to  dominate 
over  the  strings,  as  a  slight  contrast  to  the  string 
tone  which  is  in  evidence  so  much  throughout  the 
oratorio.  In  the  repeat  the  strings  play  alone  ppp. 
If  they  play  above  a  whisper  ask  them  to  play  with 
a  single  hair  of  the  bow.  This  is  to  suggest  the 
serene  calmness  of  the  hills  of  Bethlehem,  with  the 
sounds  in  the  dim  distance,  carrying  the  thoughts 
heavenward.  It  should  be  remarked  that  the 
interest  is  increased  by  giving  a  little  prominence  to 
the  theme  which  in  bar  28  appears  in  the  second 
violins,  in  bar  29  in  the  first  violins,  and  at  bar  30  in 
the  'cellos.  At  the  close,  before  there  is  time  for 
the  audience  to  break  the  spell  by  applause,  let  the 
organist  give  the  chord  for  the  heavenly  message, 
contained  in  the  succeeding  recitative. 

No.  14.  "  There  were  shepherds."  Beat  eight 
quavers  in  a  bar,  and  cease  beating  at  the  fifth 
quaver  of  the  penultimate  bar,  to  allow  the 
soloist  to  finish  ad  lib.  The  concluding  two  chords 
are  struck  after  the  singer  has  finished. 

No.  15.     "  And  the  angel."     With  organ  only. 

No.  16.  "  And  suddenly."  This  commences  as 
loudly  as  possible,  and  very  quickly  (M.  144),  eight 
in  a  bar.     Begin   decrescendo  at  the  third  beat  of 


218  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

bar  2  until  piano  is  reached  at  bar  4.  Cease 
playing  the  accompaniment  at  the  seventh  beat  of 
the  penultimate  bar,  and  after  the  soloist  has  ended 
strike  the  last  two  chords  immediately. 

No.  17.  "Glory  to  God."  This  chorus  opens 
boldly,  the  tenor  part  being  allowed  special 
prominence  in  bars  1,  2,  3,  10,  11,  12,  13. 
Bars  5,  6,  7  should  be  sung  very  softly.  Some 
authorities  say  that  as  the  words  "  Peace  on  earth  " 
are  part  of  the  announcement  of  the  angels,  it 
should  be  sung  forte ;  but  as  there  is  as  much  reason 
in  singing  softly  as  loudly,  for  the  sake  of  artistic 
variety  it  is  better  to  have  the  contrasted  effect  at 
bars  5,  6,  7,  also  at  14,  15,  16,  29,  30  and  31.  Note 
that  at  the  third  recurrence  of  the  words,  "  and 
peace  on  earth,"  the  theme  is  in  the  bass  part, 
therefore  the  other  parts  should  be  pianissimo. 

No.  18.  "  Rejoice  greatly."  Though  marked 
M.  104,  most  singers  take  this  at  about  112,  and  it 
gains  in  effect  by  this  slight  increase  of  speed. 
The  middle  section,  "  He  is  the  righteous  Saviour," 
is  taken  more  slowly,  but  at  the  reprise  the  original 
tempo  is  resumed. 

No.  19.     "  Then  shall  the  eyes."     Organ  only. 

No.  20.  "  He  shall  feed "  and  "  Come  unto 
Him."  There  is  a  tendency  among  some  artists  to 
sing  these  too  slowly,  while  others  want  to  take  them 
too  quickly.  By  taking  them  at  M.  108  to  112  we 
strike  the  happy  medium,  avoiding  "dragging"  on 
the  one  hand  and  singing  "  with  a  lilt "  on  the  other. 

No.  21.  "  His  yoke  is  easy."  This  used  to  be 
the  Cinderella  chorus  of  the  oratorio.  On  account 
of  its  supposed  lack  of  interest  it  has  been  treated 
with  undeserved  neglect,  being  omitted  from 
many  performances  of  the  work.     And  yet  this  is 


THE   MESSIAH  219 

one  of  the  finest  choruses  of  the  whole  series  of 
masterpieces.  My  choir  delight  in  it,  are  never 
weary  of  singing  it,  and  if  recognition  from  the 
public  be  any  criterion  of  the  attractiveness  and 
power  of  a  piece,  "  His  yoke  "  stands  very  high,  for 
the  demands  for  its  repetition  are  very  frequent. 

The  real  reasons  for  this  neglect  were  the 
difficulties  of  the  performance  and  the  failure  to 
grasp  the  character  and  possibilities  of  the  chorus. 

The  principal  subject  with  which  it  opens  is 
typical  of  the  freedom  from  anxiety  in  the 
contemplation  of  the  easiness  of  the  burden  and 
the  lightness  of  the  yoke  to  be  borne  by  the 
followers  of  the  Lord  Christ.  Joyous  religious 
fervour  seems  to  permeate  the  whole  chorus.  It 
commences  in  a  rather  restrained  manner,  keeps  in 
this  mood  until  bar  36,  where  there  is  a  marked 
crescendo  to  bar  38,  when  the  whole  of  the  choir, 
with  orchestra  and  organ,  burst  into  a  glorious 
passage  of  exalted  feeling  which  reaches  its  climax 
— and  such  a  climax — at  bar  45  in  the  passage  : — 


i 


-x 


->— V— V- 


1 

ea  -  sy,  and  His    bur  -  then     is       light ;      His  yoke 


f 


• m ' — | & 1 m — m 


ea  -   sy,        His      bur  -  then  is  light ; 


[Note. — Great  breath-pressure  is  needed  to 
realise  the  tour  de  force  of  this  transcendent  effort ; 
but  as   the   vowels    are   very  favourable   to   easy 


22o  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


production,  the  singers  always  rise  to  the  occasion. 
By  commencing  the  chorus  rather  softly  and 
continuing  the  movement  more  or  less  in  this 
manner,  this  chorus  is  not  only  quite  contrasted  with 
the  preceding  choruses,  but  it  makes  the  fortissimo 
at  bar  38  and  forward  doubly  impressive,  while  the 
brilliant  peroration  at  bar  44  to  the  end  is  really 
dazzling  and  uplifting  in  its  effect.  In  the  working 
up  of  this  chorus  regard  should  be  had  to  the 
following  hints.] 

First  make  sure  that  the  subject  is  well-mastered, 
especially  that  the  dotted  semiquaver  and 
demisemiquaver  be  clearly  defined.  This  has 
been  a  main  cause  of  the  avoidance  of  this 
chorus.  As  a  pattern  of  how  to  sing  the  whole 
subject,  let  the  full  choir  practise  the  following 
transposed  version  in  unison,  observing  carefully 
the  marks  of  expression  : — 


j£=^k-l^(4= 


sy,  His     burthen         is        light 


Note  that  there  is  only  one  dotted  semiquaver, 
as  at  (a),  and  not  two,  as  in  some  copies. 

Although  it  may  be  contrary  to  the  rhetorical 
accent  to  make  a  small  swell  on  the  second  syllable 
of  "burthen,"  as  at  (6),  it  is  advisable  to  do  so  in  this 
case  to  secure  an  effective  point  of  imitation.     It 


THE  MESSIAH  221 

should  be  said  that  to  sing  this  opening  mezzo  is 
so  much  more  difficult  than  to  sing  it  forte,  that 
great  care  is  necessary  or  the  sopranos  will  sing  it 
in  the  easier  way — for  which  reason  it  is  generally 
sung  forte — and  spoil  the  natural  and  artistic  effect. 
After  singing  the  first  eighteen  bars  in  a  restrained 
manner,  a  welcome  change  is  introduced  by  the 
tenors  singing  the  subject  forte  in  the  telling 
change  of  key  in  bars  19  to  22,  and  the  sopranos 
replying  equally  vigorously.  Then  at  bar  23 
the  contraltos  and  basses  resume  mezzo  tone  till 
the  grand  climax  at  bar  38,  when  fortissimo  and 
more  fortissimo  rules  till  the  final  sustained  chords 
round  off  the  first  part  of  the  oratorio  in  glorious 
fashion. 

Part  II. 

No.  22.  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God."  When 
treated  in  the  perfunctory  manner  that  it  often 
receives,  this  chorus  is  most  uninteresting,  but  when 
it  is  sung  with  a  feeling  of  loving  and  reverential 
adoration,  and  interpreted  as  though,  in  beholding 
the  Lamb  of  God,  we  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  Holy 
of  Holies,  it  is  transformed  into  a  thing  of  beauty 
and  a  chalice  full  of  hallowed  emotions.  The 
problem  of  suggesting  the  solemn  awe  called 
forth  by  the  contemplation  of  the  sinless  Lamb 
of  God  and  His  foreshadowed  sacrifice  on  the 
Cross,  to  expiate  the  "  sin  of  the  world,"  is 
a  difficult  one.  How  I  attempt  to  solve  it  is 
as  follows. 

The  opening  subject  is  treated  as  a  decrescendo 
phrase — in  this  point  a  contrast  to  the  other 
choruses — with  great  emotional  emphasis  on  the 


222   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

vowel  "  o  "  in  "  Behold."     The  model  for  all  the 
entries,  instrumental  as  well  as  vocal,  is : — 

Soprano.  "*=~/"^    ~ ==^~    « 

y  0  ' 


fr= 


^Ei 


i 


Alto.        — = 


Be  -  hold  the  Lamb  of  God, 


m=*T&?3^^=^^& 


m ^ 1 — i  ^ 


13 


Be-hold  the  Lamb  of  God,         be   -   hold  the  Lamb  of 

Reverential  wonderment  is  the   sentiment  of  the 
singers  in  the  exposition. 

This  chorus  and  the  next  three  choruses,  which 
deal  with  the  Passion  of  our  Lord,  should  show 
that,  if  skilfully  treated,  the  swell  is  the  basis  of  all 
emotional  expression.  Therefore  great  care  must 
be  taken  to  secure  just  the  correct  amount  of 
increase  and  decrease  of  sound,  or  the  touch  of 
pathos  or  conviction  will  be  lost.  At  bar  9  make  a 
general  crescendo  to  bar  10,  and  decrescendo  to  bar  12. 
The  words  "That  taketh  away"  should  be  softly 
sung,  and  then  begin  a  crescendo  getting  to  forte  at 
"  of  the  world"  (bar  15).  Sing  bar  16  very  softly 
and  reflectively.  On  the  repetition  of  the  words  in 
bar  17  sing  very  loudly,  as  though  you  wished  to  call 
attention  to  the  sacred  object.  The  next  phrase  is 
sung : — 


t 


mf-    <    ~~  —  dim.        p 


J^J.  JYJ 


etc. 


That      ta  •  keth    away       the     sin 

Note  that  here  and  in  bars  22  to  26  the  sopranos 
sing  the  solo  phrase  very  firmly,  but  with  a  tinge  of 
sorrow  in  the  tone,  and  then  shade  off  to  piano,  or 


THE   MESSIAH  223 

even  to  pp,  to  allow  the  contralto  and  other  moving 
parts  to  predominate,  they  having  the  principal 
theme.  Meanwhile  the  softly  sustained  soprano 
note — which  may  be  compared  to  an  upper  pedal — 
has  a  soothing,  glowing  effect  which  is  almost 
ravishing  in  its  appeal  to  the  senses.  The  final 
entry  (bar  27)  should  be  sung  forte,  then  all  shade 
off  by  well-ordered  diminuendo  to  pianissimo,  taking 
care  that  the  instrumentalists  play  in  like  manner, 
or  the  effect  desired  will  be  lost.  It  may  be  well  to 
remark  here  that,  unless  the  wood-wind  players  are 
very  expert  and  can  play  real  pianissimo,  I  shut 
them  off  in  bars  27  and  28. 

No.  23.  "  He  was  despised."  The  chief  thing 
in  this  solo  is  to  get  sympathetic  accompaniment. 
In  such  a  phrase  as 


i 


fcl    j      kj        etc. 


the  accent  should  be  the  same  as  in  the  spoken 
word,  there  being  a  slight  stress  on  the  middle  note, 
and  a  shading  off  on  the  third;  in  fact  it  must 
follow  the  rhetorical  accent  so  as  to  be  in  perfect 
sympathy  with  the  singer. 

Whenever  the  second  part  of  the  solo,  "  He  gave 
His  back  to  the  smiters,"  is  sung — and  it  is  well 
worth  performing — I  always  take  the  repeat  from 
bar  34,  the  unaccompanied  phrase,  "  He  was 
despised."  This  abbreviation  introduces  the  salient 
points  of  the  solo  without  prolonging  it  unduly,  and 
thereby  gives  a  sense  of  satisfaction. 

No.  24.  "  Surely  He  hath  borne  our  griefs." 
Commence  forte,  and  let  the  pent-up  expression  of 
overwrought  feeling  of  sympathetic  emotion,  evoked 


224   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


by  the  recital  of  griefs  of  the  M  Man  of  Sorrows," 
be  fully  realised  in  the  opening  word  "  Surely." 
Give  prominence  to  the  sibilant;  swell  and  dwell 
on  the  vowel  and  shade  off  softly  at  "  -ly."  More 
than  all,  put  "  tears  "  into  the  utterance,  as  that  of  a 
soul  in  pain.  At  the  words  "He  hath"  (bar  6), 
commence  mezzo-forte,  then  begin  a  crescendo,  and 
at  bar  8  reach  fortissimo,  which  sustain  with  full 
force  till  the  second  quaver  of  bar  io,  when 
decrescendo  to  piano  at  the  word  "  sorrows."  In  this 
falling  cadence  a  fine  contrast  is  secured  to  the 
rising  cadence  at  bar  8,  the  whole  forming  a 
beautiful  six-bar  curve  of  emotion.  Then  at  bar  12 
comes  the  distinguishing  feature  of  this  chorus, 
namely,  the  apotheosis  of  the  sustained  note  and 
the  glorifying  of  the  prepared  discord,  two  effects 
which  fill  the  picture  with  absolute  fitness. 

The  following  excerpt  will  illustrate  this  better 
than  words  : — 


%y? 


? 


V     2     3     4     S     «    '7     H 

ie  was  wound-  ed  for  our    trans 


j^^^dES^^^ 


345 

was      wound 


ed  for  our    trans  - 


2    3    4        5    «    7,  ,8 

e       waswound-ed  for  our    trans 


aSE 


'^EE*E**E=Z 


f^ECFE 


He 


wound- ed  for  our    trans* 


THE    MESSIAH 


225 


i 


*=s 


e± — lac 


^— 5  u  1 1 


gressions;He  was  bruis    -    ed,    He  was  bruised  for  our      in    - 


-     gressions;He  was     bruis  -  ed,     He  was  bruised  for     our.  .  in 


S=P=P= 


3tt 


gressions ;  He  was    bruised,   He  .  .   was  bruised  for    our 


=P=p: 


PS 


*=F 


m& 


tt 


m 


m 


5= 


-     gressions ;  He  was  bruis  -  ed,         He  was  bruised  for  our  in  - 

Note  that  at  the  end  of  either  three  quavers — as  in 
the  first  contralto  lead — or  five  quavers — as  in 
sopranos  and  tenors — the  molto  ores,  is  followed  by 
molto  dim.,  that  is,  as  soon  as  the  strong  accents 
are  struck.  The  tenors  have  two  impressive 
chances  at  bars  20  and  21,  while  the  contralto 
should  emphasize  the  A  before  descending  to  G. 

A  crescendo  by  all  parts  should  reach  fortissimo  at 
bars  18  and  19. 

The  following  is  the  best  way  of  treating  the 
next  phrase : — 

P  <:=~  «/  Z=-P 


I 


See 


iz-t 


■P 


the  chas  -  tise  -    ment, 


I 


Efe=E: 


-£>-£ 


the  chas  -  tise  -  ment, 
m/_ 


* 


*=1*= 


the  chas-  tise  -  ment, 


the  chas 


The  last  two  bars  should  be  pianissimo. 


226   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

No.  25.  "  And  with  His  stripes."  In  this  chorus 
try  to  make  the  listeners  realise  your  idea  of 
the  self-abnegation  of  the  Saviour  by  means  of 
the  emotional  swell,  as  shown  in  the  treatment  of  the 
principal  subject : — 


f?: 


. 


BEE 


>=*= 


* 


And     with     His  stripes         we      are        heal      -      ed. 

This  pattern  is  followed  by  all  the  voices,  but 
variety  is  secured  by  louder  singing  as  the  subject 
is  reiterated,  until  near  the  end  a  decrcscendo  sets  in, 
and  the  chorus  closes  mezzo-piano. 

No.  26.  "  All  we  like  sheep."  Here  we  have  a 
chorus  of  self-condemnation.  The  singers,  after 
contemplating  the  suffering  the  Holy  One  has 
undergone  on  their  behalf,  feel  like  the  prophet 
of  old,  who  cried  out  in  agony  of  spirit,  "  Woe 
is  me,  for  I  am  a  sinful  man."  Their  souls  are 
stirred  to  the  quick,  and  they  cry  out  loudly  that 
they  have  erred  and  strayed  like  lost  sheep. 

Although  sung  forte,  it  is  possible  to  put  an 
emotional  swell  on  the  words  "  we  "  and  "  sheep  " 
sufficient  to  show  a  spirit  distraught,  not  with 
reflective  but  with  vociferous  anguish.  Sung  in  this 
way,  the  runs,  with  their  turns  and  twists  typical 
of  a  giddy,  heedless  throng,  fit  into  the  picture 
admirably.  At  the  words  "we  have  turned"  the 
second  syllable  "-ed"  must  be  sung  rather  softly, 
to  allow  the  interjectory  words  of  each  incoming 
voice  to  be  heard  distinctly,  and  thus  carry  on  the 
point  of  imitation.  The  three  bars  before  the 
pause  bar  should  be  given  fortissimo,  and  the  pause 
chord  should  be  the  same,  but  should  have  a  marked 
diminuendo  just  before  the  end  to  glide  into  the 


THE  MESSIAH 


227 


next    most    impressive    and   moving   portion,   the 
A  dagio,  which  opens  as  follows  : — 

r^>Aiagio. pp  -=z  f  z=~  PP 


£=F= 


IOC 


72- 


His      own 


i 


*&L 


and    the    Lord    hath 


His      own 


way ; 


tnp 


=3*^ 


^-z. 


His      own        way ; 


pp 


f»n 


g 


and  the 


ifee- 


mF^F1 


His       own      way ;    and    the  Lord     hath 


laid     on 


I  |vJ      ftrt: 


/. 


WW 


i 


/ 


and    the    Lord      hath 
■PP 


laid 


*P 


Lord     hath 


Him. 


laid 


ipc 


laid        on             Him,     and    the  Lord      hath 
mp  -=zf=-  PP  


W^Z- 


Him,      on 


At  the  seventh  bar  (page  102,  Novello's  edition) 
the  tenors  must  swell  on  the  F,  and  in  bar  8  the 
contraltos  must  imitate  this  almost  spasmodic 
wave-like  singing  of  the  voices,  pregnant  with  grief 
and  dejection. 


228  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

At  bar  10  the  contraltos  and  tenors  must  come  in 
mp,  and  all  parts  should  swell  slightly  on  the  word 
"Him"  (bar  12);  from  this  point  a  decided 
diminuendo  should  set  in,  and  the  close  should  be 
pianissimo. 

To  heighten  the  impressiveness,  or  rather  to 
prevent  it  from  being  spoiled,  I  shut  off  all  the 
wood-wind  three  bars  from  the  end,  and  the  organ 
also — only  the  strings,  which  can  be  regulated  in 
sound,  remaining. 

No.  27.  "  All  they  that  see  Him."  This  short 
dramatic  recitative  aptly  serves  as  an  introduction 
to  the  jibing,  derisive  chorus  next  following. 

No.  28.  M  He  trusted  in  God."  This  chorus  is 
usually  regarded  as  one  of  the  least  interesting, 
if  not  the  least  interesting,  in  the  oratorio,  and  so  it 
is,  unless  it  be  sung  with  the  proper  spirit  and 
atmosphere.  But  if  the  cue  be  taken  from  the 
preceding  recitative,  and  it  is  sung  with  sarcastic 
tone  and  the  scornful  expression  implied  in  the 
words,  "  They  shoot  out  their  lips  and  shake  their 
heads,"  it  becomes  a  living  reality,  and  is  such  a 
contrast  to  everything  that  has  gone  before,  that  if 
encores  were  ever  taken  this  chorus  would,  by  the 
impression  it  makes,  have  to  be  repeated  at  every 
performance. 

To  get  the  desired  effect  it  is  necessary  to  use  a 
very  hard,  nasal  tone — or  rather  nasal  twang — in 
each  voice.  To  those  choristers  who  have  never 
sung  with  hard,  contemptuous  nasal  tone  it  will  be 
a  difficult  achievement,  because  they  will  imagine 
that  they  are  exaggerating  tremendously,  when  the 
probability  is  that  they  will  be  just  on  the  fringe  of 
nasality.  On  account  of  the  modifying  effect  of  the 
string  tone  more  nasality  is  required  than   would 


THE   MESSIAH  229 

otherwise  be  the  case.  The  organist  should  only 
employ  the  reed  stops  in  this  chorus. 

After  the  exposition  the  voices  will  naturally 
become  more  normal,  but  care  must  be  taken  that 
the  jibing  tone  does  not  disappear.  At  the 
interjectory  phrases  "  Let  Him  deliver  Him "  a 
strong  accent  must  be  put  on  the  syllable  "  liv," 
and  great  pains  be  taken  to  sing  correctly  the  note 
it  is  set  to,  as  grievous  errors  are  often  made  at 
these  points.  The  difficulty  in  singing  these  notes 
firmly  is  one  of  the  reasons  for  the  unpopularity  of 
the  chorus.  At  the  climax  of  the  chorus  (bar  50) 
the  choir  must  sing  as  though  it  were  a  frenzied, 
howling  mob,  with  unmusical  tone,  and  at  the  last 
three  bars  there  must  again  be  a  great  excess  of 
nasality  in  the  tone.  It  is  advisable  to  dwell  on 
the  "  m  "  in  "  Him." 

No.  29.  "  Thy  rebuke  "  ;  No.  30.  "  Behold  and 
see";  No.  31.  "He  was  cut  off."  The  Passion 
music  calls  for  little  remark,  save  that  at  bar  7  and 
forward  of  "  Behold  and  see,"  the  first  violins 
should  play  as  follows,  the  high  notes  having  a 
slight  pressure  and  shading  off  to  silence,  as  though 
each  note  were  a  suppressed  sob  : — 


SE3 


etc. 


No.  32.  "  But  Thou  didst  not  leave."  Here  the 
sentiment  changes  from  one  of  gloom  to  radiant  hope 
and  victory,  therefore  the  soloist  should  change  the 
quality  of  tone  to  a  bright,  ringing  timbre,  and  the 
solo  should  be  sung  with  joyful  confidence  fairly 
quickly,  at  about  M.  84,  four  crotchets  in  a  bar. 


230   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

This  is  twice  as  fast  as  the  metronome  mark,  which 
is  always  disregarded. 

No.  33.  "  Lift  up  your  heads."  The  opening 
trio  part  affords  a  charming  contrast  to  anything 
in  the  work,  and  as  much  as  possible  should  be 
made  of  the  antiphonal  effects.  It  opens  piano  and 
maintains  this  for  four  bars,  when  there  is  a  slight 
crescendo.  The  tenors  and  basses  ask  inquiringly 
{mezzo),  "  Who  is  the  King  of  Glory,"  increasing  the 
tone  a  little  at  each  repetition.  The  ladies  with 
confident  ardour  and  pealing  voices  declare  that 
"  The  Lord  strong  and  mighty "  is  the  King  of 
Glory.  At  bar  19  the  original  theme  is  repeated, 
not,  as  many  suppose,  in  the  contralto,  but  in  the 
tenor  part,  which  should  be  sung  boldly  for  one 
bar — other  parts  singing  piano — after  which  the 
contraltos  take  the  lead.  At  bar  26  the  ladies  ask 
the  question,  "  Who  is  the  King,"  at  first  very  softly 
with  crescendo,  until  at  bar  28  the  inquiry  is  insistent 
and  should  be  sung  as  loudly  as  possible.  From  this 
point  the  chorus  proceeds  with  a  massive  sweep  like 
a  grand,  triumphant  march  heralding  the  power  and 
might  of  "  The  King  of  Glory."  The  end  of  this 
chorus  is,  for  many  reasons,  the  most  convenient 
place  for  the  interval  to  be  taken.  I  usually  omit 
Nos.  34  to  37,  resuming  the  work  at  No.  38 — 
M  How  beautiful  are  the  feet " — if  there  be  a  good 
flautist,  but  if  not,  at  No.  39,  "  Their  sound  is  gone 
out."  This  chorus  allows  a  distinct  treatment  of  its 
sustained  notes  in  the  first  twelve  bars.  I  regard 
each  minim  or  semibreve  as  a  point  of  imitation, 
and  get  each  voice  to  crescendo  with  all  the  power 
it  can  on  these  long  sounds.  The  effect  of  the 
voices  alternately  dominating  and  irradiating  the 
picture    with     their     ever-increasing    sound     and 


THE   MESSIAH  231 

culminating  at  the  basses'  top  E  flat  seems  to 
suggest  the  brilliance  of  intersecting  flashlights  of 
our  warships  at  a  naval  review. 

After  this  figurative  electric  -  light  display  the 
tenors  take  up  their  entry  mezzo,  and  by  degrees 
this  force  is  worked  up  to  a.  forte  close. 

No.  40.  "  Why  do  the  nations."  Should  be 
sung  with  great  spirit,  which  should  be  emphasized 
by  the  contrasts  of  force  in  the  accompaniments. 
If  possible  the  reprise  should  be  taken  a  little 
quicker  than  at  the  beginning.  There  is  no  ritard., 
the  first  time  through,  but  the  singer  can  take  the 
last  three  bars  of  the  repeat  at  will. 

No.  41.  "  Let  us  break."  Usually  there  is  so 
much  applause  at  the  end  of  "  Why  do  the 
nations  " — notwithstanding  the  announcement  that 
the  audience  must  not  applaud — that  a  consider- 
able time  elapses  between  the  end  of  the  solo  and 
the  beginning  of  the  chorus.  The  choristers  should 
be  prepared  for  this,  and  keep  the  pitch  of  the 
starting  note  in  mind,  and  when  absolute  silence  is 
restored,  they,  at  the  conductor's  sign,  must 
ejaculate,  "  Let  us  break,"  like  the  explosion  of  an 
eighty-ton  gun.  This  is  a  chorus  of  defiant  vigour, 
and  all  parts  must  be  sung  in  this  vigorous  mood. 
A  fine  contrast  to  everything  else  in  the  work  is 
afforded  by  the  phrase : — 


etc. 


And  cast  a    -  way, 


where  the  syncopations  must  be  sung  with  forceful 
dynamic  sforzandos,  and  the  runs  given  out  like  a 
rushing,  irresistible  torrent  of  sound.     The  words, 


232   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

especially  at  the  opening  and  close,  must  be  very 
emphatic. 

No.  43.  "  Thou  shalt  break  them."  The  only 
point  which  calls  for  remark  relates  to  the  way  in 
which  the  solo  should  close.  In  the  vocal  score  the 
voice  part  ends  on  the  two  low  A's,  but  usage  and 
tradition  have  sanctioned  the  upper  octave  for  the 
last  G  and  the  penultimate  A.  Latterly,  however, 
several  musical  critics  have  denounced  this  as 
"  playing  to  the  gallery,"  as  a  "  departure  from 
good  taste,"  and  as  "  doing  violence  to  the  written 
word,"  &c. 

Personally,  I  do  not  mind  which  ending  is  given, 
but  I  prefer  the  upper  ending  because  it  is  distinctly 
in  the  picture ;  it  harmonizes  with  the  spirit  of  the 
solo,  and  also,  seven  bars  before,  there  is  the 
identical  low  cadence,  and  to  repeat  it  again  so 
soon  produces  a  sense  of  anticlimax. 

No.  44.  "  Hallelujah."  This  transcendent  pecan 
stands  unique.  It  is  a  thing  apart  from  any 
other  composition,  therefore  it  will  be  unnecessary 
to  dwell  upon  its  points  of  contrast,  and  better 
to  deal  with  the  music,  so  as  to  reflect  the 
spirit  of  the  words  and  music  in  a  true  worshipful 
interpretation.  It  should  be  sung  majestically  at 
about  the  speed  indicated — M.  72,  four  crotchets  to 
a  bar — and  not  hurried,  as  it  often  is.  Some 
conductors  fail  to  realise  that  it  is  in  the  phrasing 
— the  giving  of  distinction  to  each  group  of  notes, — 
rather  than  in  speed,  that  the  secret  of  maintaining 
interest  is  to  be  found.  They  act  on  the  principle, 
"  When  a  piece  seems  to  be  falling  flat  increase  the 
speed,"  with  the  result  that  they  often  entirely 
destroy  the  spirit  of  the  composition.  This 
happens  frequently  with  the  "Hallelujah."     Really 


THE  MESSIAH 


233 


this  is  not  necessary,  as,    I    trust,    the   following 
scheme  of  performance  will  show. 

Open  majestically,  glorify  the  first  chord,  the 
first  word,  and  the  first  phrase  by  singing  them  as 
follows:  — 


w 


£ 


&£= 


:!E££E 


SzzE: 


-* — • — » 


g=3: 


Hal    -    le  -  lu  -  jah  !  hal    -    le  -  lu  -  jah  !         hal-  le 


^^^ag^^gr-n^^ 


fe=fcF 


m 


*m 


Hal    -    le  -  lu  -  jah  !  hal    -    le  -  lu  -  jah  !         hal-  le 


=t=: 


±z 


• — * — P — = — •— ■» — 


Hal    -    le  -  lu  -  jah  !  hal 


le  -  lu  -  jah  !         hal-  le 


Hal    -     le  -  lu  -  jah  !  hal    -    le  -  lu  -  jah  !         hal-le 


ptEg_g^i-5-S-M=^^^ 


-P— - 


lu  -  jah  !         hal-le-  lu  -  jah !        hal  -  le 
A  A 


lu- jah  ! 


piii^gi 


3S 


S=^J=g 


-    -    lu-jah! 
A 


hal-le-  lu  -  jah  !        hal  -  le    -    -     lu  -  jah  ! 

A 


Se 


£^EE3 


5E^ 


^=«: 


*— ^ P 


m? 


lu  -  jah  !        hal-  le-  lu  -  jah  !         hal   -   le    -    -     lu-  jah  ! 
A  A 


S 


33=S 


^3EE^ 


-P *- 


lu  -  jah  !        hal-  le-  lu  -  jah  !        hal  -  le 


hi-  jah 


234  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


E 


bal 


I 


le  -  lu  -  jah  ! 


bal 


bal 


le  -  lu  -  jah  ! 


W — fi- 


le -  lu  - jah 

1=1 


bal 


le  -  lu  -  jah  ! 


Note  that  the  above  model  should  be  followed  by 
the  instrumentalists  in  the  opening  symphony. 

Swell  on  M  Hal "  and  give  pressure  to  "  lu." 
Although  marked  forte,  by  means  of  these  swells  and 
pressures  the  effect  will  be  fortissimo.  Besides,  they 
give  a  warmth  and  glow  to  the  phrase  which  would 
be  absent  were  it  sung  by  an  unrelieved,  swell-less 
fortissimo. 

Similarly  treat  the  next  four  bars  in  the  dominant, 
but  with  more  fervour  on  account  of  the  pitch  being 
more  favourable  to  increase  of  tone.  The  next 
phrase,  "  For  the  Lord  God  omnipotent  reigneth," 
should  be  taken  in  a  broad  and  stately  manner  at 
about  M.  60,  the  original  tempo  (M.  72)  being 
resumed  at  the  Hallelujahs.  Where  the  contraltos, 
tenors,  and  basses  sing  the  words  "  For  the  Lord 
God,"  the  tempo  is  again  slower.  At  bar  21,  where 
the  Hallelujahs  come  in,  the  original  speed  is 
resumed  and  carried  on  until  the  last  beat  of  bar  34, 


THE   MESSIAH 


235 


where  there  is  a  decided  slackening  of  the  time  and 
a  diminution  of  force,  as : — 

J=56. 

p  tending  to  pp 


$ 


1    m 


1     n*-- 


*~i — •- 


— *o* 

The   king-dom     of        this       world 


is      be 


P 


'in 


fe 


a=* 


^ 


-» — * — -jgr~    —&- 
The   king-dom     of     this  world 


be 


I 


feS 


[     nr 

-S »-j — 1- 


The  king-  dom     of        this       world 


-*T'«  I     a> 


is      be 


££ 


The   king-  dom     of       this        world 


be 


i 


SE 


# 


— &-. 

come  the       king-dom    of      our 


come  the      king-dom    of 

1   T=W 


+z-f 


^B 


come 
1     2         -< 


the       king-  dom    of 
l^-P - 


a  •■ 


:  etc. 


come  the       king-  dom    of       our 

The  bass  lead  which  follows  sets  the  pattern  for 
firm,  clean   attack.     The  tenors,  having  a  vowel 


236  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


favourable  for  nasal  resonance,  should  give  their 
top  A  with  a  brilliant  effect,  to  balance  which 
the  second  sopranos  must  join  the  contraltos  in 
their  lead,  and  to  crown  the  series  of  entries  the 
sopranos  must  sing  with  bright  clarion  tone  without 
a  trace  of  forcing  or  wooliness.  At  bar  52  a  series 
of  phrases  begins,  which  I  treat  rather  differently 
from  common  usage,  as  will  be  seen  in  the 
following : — 


1 


ess 


dim.    p 


Ml 


I 


King  of      kings, 


zr»zzn 


za~ 


King  of      kings, 


-/, 


3-   k  n  1  ^m^*$^ 


forev-er      and  ev-er,     Hal-le-lu-jah  !     hal-le 


for  cv-  er      and  ev-  er,    Hal-le-lu-jah  !    hal-le 


S 


^^ 


and  Lord    of 


lords 


pill 


:a: 


]or>is  I 


and  Lord    of 


**^        _      _     In.  «ak  I  f/ir    At'    «r  orw 


-  lu-jah 


gjt  U  C  l*  -g- 


£^ 


for  ev-er       and 


*=* 


lu-jah  ! 


for  ev-er       and 


THE   MESSIAH  237 

The  sopranos  sing  "  King  of  kings,"  and  at  bar  55 
"and  Lord  of  lords,"  very  firmly,  but  immediately 
shade  off  to  piano.  This  is  done  partly  to  save  the 
voices,  partly  to  prepare  for  the  grand  climax  at 
bar  68,  but  chiefly  not  to  obscure  the  effect  of  the 
"  Hallelujahs  "  of  the  tenors  and  basses,  and  (later) 
contraltos. 

The  repetition  phrase  (bars  58  to  63)  is  treated 
similarly,  but  at  bar  64  a  change,  for  which  the 
preceding  has  been  a  preparation,  takes  place  as 
indicated  below : — 


King  of         kings and  Lord  of  lords   .  . 


The  other  parts  correspondingly  increase  their 
force.  After  the  somewhat  subdued  sustained 
notes  of  the  preceding  phrases,  this  change  comes 
first  as  a  welcome  surprise,  then  as  a  thrill,  and 
finally  the  last  two  bars  68  and  69  as  concentrated 
ecstatic  emotion. 

This  strenuous  effort  of  the  choir  calls  for  a 
short  respite,  therefore  somewhat  less  strenuously 
they  go  on  their  even  but  praiseful  way  till  bars  76 
and  78,  where  the  tenors  crescendo  as  much  as 
possible  on  the  sustained  D's  to  give  distinction  to 
the  phrases,  there  being  no  fear  of  the  sustained 
notes  swamping  the  other  parts  as  there  was  when 
the  prolonged  notes  were  in  the  soprano  part. 

To  dispel  the  danger  and  monotony  of  being  too 
metronomic,  and  as  a  concession  to  the  emotional 
excitement  and  exaltation  of  spirit  aroused  by  the 
foregoing,    it    is    permissible    to    make    a    slight 


238   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

accelerando  at  bars  91,  92,  and  93,  which  is  corrected 
by  the  very  slow  majestic  fortissimo  of  the  final 
"  Hallelujah." 

No.  45.  "  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth." 
Appropriately  leads  the  way  to  the  chain  of  four 
choruses  which  follow. 

No.  46.  "  Since  by  man  came  death  "  and  "  For 
as  in  Adam  all  die,"  are  really  quartets,  but  the 
immense  gain  in  effect  when  well  sung  by  the 
choristers  has  led  to  their  being  regarded  as 
choruses.  These  two  numbers  are  fine  examples 
of  the  importance  of  the  curve  of  sound  in  phrasing. 
The  first  bar  of  "  Since  by  man "  is  begun 
pianissimo,  and  there  is  a  very  gradual  crescendo 
to  the  sixth  bar,  when  a  sustained  molto  dim. 
brings  the  sound  down  to  a  whisper  again 
(see   page    127,   supra). 

In  "  For  as  in  Adam  all  die  "  it  is  advisable 
to  make  the  marked  crescendo  to  the  fourth  bar  at 
the  word  "  Adam."  From  the  forte  reached  at  this 
point  there  is  a  molto  dim.  to  pianissimo.  In  previous 
choruses  I  have  suggested  strengthening  parts 
by  other  voices  to  get  certain  effects  or  to 
give  prominence  to  a  phrase,  but  in  "  Since 
by  man "  and  "  For  as  in  Adam "  I  always  do 
the   opposite. 

In  the  first  bar  of  each  chorus  the  first  voices 
only  of  each  part  sing  ppp ;  at  bar  2  the  second 
voices  join  in  equally  softly,  but  the  increase  in 
numbers  gives  the  desired  increase  in  sound.  From 
this  point  the  whole  choir  sing  the  crescendo  together 
till  the  first  beat  of  the  last  bar,  when  the  first  part 
voices  drop  out  and  the  second  voices  of  each  part 
finish  ppp  alone.  It  is  perhaps  worth  remarking 
that  one  of  the  critics  to  be  referred  to  later  said 


THE   MESSIAH  239 

that  it  was  worth  attending  the  performance,  if  only 
to  hear  the  exquisite  rendering  of  these  two  short 
expressive  choruses  (see  page  126,  supra). 

No.  47.  "  By  man  came  also  the  resurrection," 
and  No.  49,  "  Even  so  in  Christ,"  are  sung  in  a 
bright,  straightforward  manner  as  foils  to  the  slow 
movements. 

No.  50.  "  Behold,  I  tell  you  a  mystery,"  and 
No.  51,  "  The  trumpet  shall  sound,"  always  lead  to 
the  two  final  choruses — 

No.  55.  "  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  "  and  its  pendant, 
No.  56,  "  Amen,"  which  so  grandly  crown  the 
edifice. 

After  the  comparatively  unexciting  numbers 
which  follow  the  "  Hallelujah  "  the  apotheosis  of 
the  glorified  Lamb  comes  as  a  welcome  and  fitting 
consummation  of  what  has  gone  before. 

For  many  years  I  was  always  dissatisfied  with 
the  opening  bars  of  this  chorus.  True,  they  were 
grand  and  uplifting  by  the  power  and  sonority  of 
the  chords,  and  one  felt  that  it  was  a  glorious 
outburst  of  praise  at  the  word  "  worthy,"  but  there 
seemed  to  me  something  lacking.  I  probed  into  the 
subject  and  found  the  reason  to  be  that  the  theme 
was  not  in  the  soprano  part,  as  popularly  supposed, 
but  was  split  up  between  the  tenor  and  contralto 
parts.  This  knowledge  I  put  to  good  account  by 
getting  the  tenors  to  sing  in  bars  2  and  3  with  the 
contraltos  at  the  words  "  Lamb  that  was  slain." 
When  I  first  asked  the  tenors  to  do  it,  many  shook 
their  heads  at  the  daring  innovation,  but  when  I 
explained  the  reason,  and  they,  by  singing  it,  had 
realised  the  brilliant  and  quite  legitimate  effect, 
they  sang  it  afterwards  con  amove.  Though  this 
made   the   latter   part    of    the   theme   prominent, 


24o  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


the  first  four  notes  were  not  definite  enough  to  call 
the  attention  of  the  listeners  to  the  leading  motive. 
This  could  only  be  done  by  weakening  the  full 
sonorous  notes  of  the  sopranos  and  by  strengthening 
the  first  four  notes  of  the  tenors.  Therefore  the 
following  scheme  was  evolved,  which  utilises  all 
the  possible  force  of  all  the  voices  which  this 
opening  outburst  requires : — 


^     -«&»- 


'Q —  : 


m 


Wor 


thy 


the  Lamb     that    was    slain, 
ist  Tenors  for  four  notes. 

J  I  M 


Wor    -    thy  is        the  Lamb      that     was    slain, 

2nd  Soprano  and  Contralto  for  four  notes. 


^ 


Z&Z 


% 


Wor    -     thy 

_[ b= 


is       the  Lamb      that     was    slain, 


-*=&L 


^=F 


-c: 


Wor 


thy         is       the  Lamb      that    was    slain, 


and  hath      re  -  deem  -  ed    us      to 


THE  MESSIAH  241 

Putting  it  in  words,  it  is  merely  the  strengthening 
of  the  theme  by  getting  the  second  contraltos  and 
second  sopranos  to  sing  the  first  four  notes  of  the 
tenor  part,  and  then  the  tenors  and  second  sopranos 
to  sing  the  last  four  notes  of  the  contralto  part  to 
the  words  "  Lamb  that  was  slain." 

At  bars  11,  12,  and  13,  where  the  theme  appears 
in  the  sopranos,  to  get  a  corresponding  prominence 
the  first  contraltos  sing  with  the  sopranos.  From 
this  point  the  chorus  proceeds  in  normal  fashion, 
care  being  taken,  however,  to  give  a  crescendo  in  the 
reiterated  notes,  the  climax  being  reached  at  the  word 
"  Him,"  and  also  to  give  marked  definition  to  the 
syncopated  notes,  as  in  bar  26  (see  page  108,  supra). 

The  sopranos  should  practise  bars  33  and  34 
until  the  upward  rush  of  the  run  can  be  given  with 
brilliance.  The  contralto  and  bass  runs  in  bar  65 
should  be  mastered  in  the  same  manner.  The  last 
three  bars  should  be  given  with  pompous  breadth, 
to  lead  into  the  climax  of  the  whole  oratorio,  the 
"Amen"  chorus  (No.  56).  The  stately  subject 
hardly  foreshadows  the  masterly  treatment  which 
it  will  receive  later.  A  few  years  back,  before 
its  possibilities  in  performance  were  revealed,  this 
chorus  was  regarded  as  a  sort  of  recessional  by 
most  of  the  audience,  who  accordingly  left  while  it 
was  being  performed. 

At  the  present  time  it  is  regarded  as  almost 
sacrilege  to  leave  the  hall  until  the  last  note  has 
been  sung,  so  potent  is  its  spell.  The  basses  open 
firmly,  and  the  tenors  follow.  The  contraltos 
cannot  make  much  impression,  and  therefore  the 
second  sopranos  help  them  for  four  bars  and  three 
beats.  To  secure  a  uniform  following  on,  the 
sopranos  should  commence  mezzo-forte,  making  a 


242   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

crescendo  at  bar  17  to  bar  19  when,  to  crown  the 
exposition,  all  parts  (with  full  organ)  should  sing 
fortissimo. 

The  violin  interlude  is  marked  piano  in  some 
copies,  but  it  is  better  to  play  it  forte,  and  even  then 
it  sounds  thin  compared  with  the  full-voiced  choir 
which  comes  before  and  after.  The  basses,  having 
the  theme  at  bars  26  to  30,  must  be  very  emphatic, 
with  rather  hard  tone,  and  the  same  remark  applies 
to  bars  33  to  35.  From  bar  37  to  the  end  the 
chorus  increases  in  power  and  interest,  if  care  be 
taken  to  make  manifest  to  the  ear  the  close 
imitations  which  are  seen  in  the  score  by  the  eye  of 
an  experienced  musician.  On  page  I07(s7f/>ra)willbe 
found  the  model  of  how  to  perform  bars  42  and  43. 
The  following  bars,  45  to  48,  are  performed  exactly 
in  the  same  way,  except  that  they  are  a  fifth  lower 
in  pitch : — 


men, 


THE   MESSIAH 


243 


tfe3&TSfr?£ 


pm^£ 


men, 


«**c  m  cfcj 


e* 


H«=J 


U=S 


In  getting  a  large  body  of  singers  to  do  anything 
out  of  the  ordinary,  like  the  striking  of  these  notes 
forte-piano,  unless  what  is  required  to  be  done  is 
set  forth  in  well-defined  formulae,  confusion  always 
arises  and  failure  is  the  result.  It  was  so  with  this 
very  example,  until  the  plan  was  simplified  into  the 
following  statement. 

In  these  phrases  there  are  in  each  part  two 
cases  of  forte-piano,  that  is,  at  the  beginning  and  the 
first  top  note  of  the  point  of  imitation.  Then,  after 
two  beats,  there  is  a  crescendo  with  pressure  marks 
on  the  next  two  high  notes.  As  everything  is  in 
"twos"  the  singers  readily  grasp  the  idea.  It  should 
be  remarked  that  the  seeming  exaggeration  of  the 
attack  is  modified  greatly  by  the  even  tone  of  the 
organ,  and  unless  the  accents  are  exaggerated  no 
effect  is  heard.  These  throbs  of  sound  coming 
first  in  one  voice  and  then  in  another  arouse 
interest  to  a  wonderful  extent,  and  all  sense  of 
strong  accent  monotony  is  lost  by  each  voice 
merging  ultimately  into  a  general  fortissimo. 


244   TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


Here  very  pronounced  accents  cease,  though  the 
pressures  are  still  agreeably  recognizable.  At  bar 
51  the  soprano  theme  can  take  care  of  itself,  but  at 
bar  52  the  tenor  theme,  being  very  low,  is  all  the 
better  with  some  help  from  the  baritones.  The 
subject  in  contrary  motion  appears  in  bar  55,  which 
should  be  treated  as  follows : — 


$ 


65 


56 


57 


P*=*=^ 


men,   A 


-M- 


men, 


&- 


13 


~N>    S> 


^=^ 


-*^- 


men. 


men, 


m 


3E- 


t=t 


6* 


l§g 


*■=* 


-    men,     A 


fJL. 


3F 


-    -    men,   A 


men,     A 


men,  A  ... 

This  is  to  prepare  for  similar  treatment  of  all  parts. 
Note  at  bars  63  and  64  in  each  case  only  two  //>'s 


THE   MESSIAH  245 

must  be  given,  after  which  there  are  a  few  bars  of 
less  pronounced  pressures,  to  secure  variety  and  to 
avoid  over-emphasis.  There  should  be  a  decrescendo 
in  bar  67  to  prepare  for  the  repetition  in  bars  68 
and  69  of  the  treatment  of  bars  42  and  43.  A  fine 
crisis  is  reached  in  bar  71  on  the  first  beat  which 
precedes  a  short  decrescendo  to  prepare  for  the 
last  display  of  close  imitation  in  bars  72  and  73. 
Special  care  should  be  taken  to  get  these  clearly 
defined,  as  they  are  really  thrilling  when  well  done. 
Up  to  this  point  the  excitement  of  the  listener  has 
steadily  increased  as  the  wonderful  close  imitations 
have  been  unfolded  by  the  splendid  mastery  of  the 
voices,  which,  as  they  come  surging  along  in  ever- 
growing volume,  sound  like  the  voice  of  many 
waters  spoken  of  by  the  Seer  of  Patmos.  And  now 
comes  the  supreme  effort  of  all  to  crown  not  only 
this  chorus  but  the  whole  oratorio  with  the  glory 
which  is  its  due.  The  full  chorus  moves  along 
grandly.  The  sopranos  at  bar  75,  mounting  like 
brilliant  meteors,  strike  with  electrical  effect  the 
top  A,  the  basses  thunder  out  the  top  D,  while  the 
tenors  glorify  the  whole  with  their  trumpet-like 
top  A  in  response  to  the  sopranos,  and  the 
whole  choir  comes  ecstatically  to  the  sustained 
chord  before  the  pause.  This  pause  is  held  for 
seemingly  a  long  time  ;  then  every  singer  summons 
strength  for  the  final  grand  "  Amen,"  and  the 
oratorio  closes  with  praise  and  thanksgiving  in  the 
heart  of  every  one  who  has  listened  or  sung. 

From  the  above  outline  of  the  possibilities  of 
The  Messiah  in  the  way  of  providing  diversity 
of  treatment,  it  can  safely  be  said  that  the  charge 
of  boredom  against  this  and  other  works  of  Handel 
need   not   be   made   if   only   proper  treatment  be 


246  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


accorded  to  them.  In  addition  to  the  repose, 
change  of  atmosphere,  and  tone-tint  provided  by 
the  solos,  there  are  many  points  of  contrast  and 
variety  of  treatment  provided  by  the  choruses. 
Passing  these  in  review  they  may  be  summarised 
as  follows : — 

Bold,  bright,  and  rhythmic. 
Reiterated     notes     and     effective 


"  And  the  Glory. 
"And  H<j  shall* 

purifv." 
"  O  Thou  that 

tellest." 


"  For  unto  us." 


"  Glorv  to  God. 


His   yoke 
easy." 


is 


"  Behold  the  Lamb 
of  God." 

"  Surely  He  hath 
borne." 


"And   with 

stripes." 
"All   we   like 

sheep." 

"  He   trusted 
God." 


His 


in 


runs. 

Marked  entries  of  voices,  marked 
contralto  phrases,  and  very 
marked  expression. 

Confident  joy,  fine  cumulative 
divisions,  notable  solo  phrases  in 
each  vocal  part,  and  glorious 
climaxes. 

Praiseful  trio  phrases  with  con- 
trasted pianissimo  phrases  for 
tenors  and  basses. 

Virtuosic  treatment  of  the  fine  florid 
subject,  and  most  brilliant  climax 
to  wind  up  Part  I. 

Impressive  swells  and  artistic  dove- 
tailing of  the  voices,  joined  to 
moving  expression. 

The  sob  in  music ;  extended  curves 
of  sound ;  contrasts  of  expression 
in  cadences ;  the  glorifying  of 
sustained  sounds  and  prominence 
of  the  percussion  of  prepared 
discords. 

Realisation  of  grief  of  heart  by 
emotional  swell. 

The  outburst  of  self-condemnation 
which  ends  in  speechless  humility 
of  spirit. 

Hard,  bitter  scorn  and  jibing 
sarcasm  depicted  by  harsh  nasal 
tone  and  howling  voices. 


THE   MESSIAH 


247 


Lift   up 
heads." 


your 


"  Their   sound   is 
gone  out." 

"  Let  us  break." 
"  Hallelujah." 


"  Since  by  man." 


"  By  man   came 

also." 
"  For  as  in  Adam 

all  die." 
"  Even   so   in 

Christ." 
"  Worthy   is 

Lamb." 


Charming  antiphonal  effects,  varied 
expression,  and  triumphant  vin- 
dication of  the  power  of 
"  The  King  of  Glory." 

The  rousing,  illuminating  and 
dominating  effect  of  blazes  of 
sustained  sound  in  alternate 
voices. 

Fierce,  forceful  attack  and  vehement 
rendering  of  the  syncopations. 

Soulful  declaration  of  adoration 
and  praise,  each  change  of 
sentiment  being  appropriately 
met  by  change  of  tempo  and  power 
of  voices. 

Example  of  unaccompanied  voice 
control  in  negotiating  long  swell 
from  pianissimo  to  forte  and  back 
to  pianissimo. 

Bright,  contrasted  movement. 

Similar   to   "  Since   by  man,"  but 

varied  in  length  of  sound-curve. 
Confident  assurance. 


the 


Distinction  of  tenor  and  soprano 
parts  in  emphasising  theme, 
glorious  rushes  of  sound  in  each 
voice,  imposing  effect  of  reiterated 
notes  and  triumphant  strains  of 
a  victorious  army. 
"  Amen."  Apotheosis  of  choral  effect  as  each 

series  of  close  imitations  rises  to 
higher  and  still  higher  expression 
of  ecstatic  excitement,culminating 
in  the  last  grand  "  Amen." 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  above  analysis  that 
there  is  nothing  in  the  whole  interpretation  which 
can  be  considered  ultra  vires  or  strained,  but  that 


248  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

it  is  in  strict  keeping  with  the  spirit  and  letter  of 
the  oratorio;  yet  some  critics  have  charged  me  with 
exaggeration.  This  was  because  I  kept  introducing 
one  or  two  points  each  season,  so  as  not  to  startle 
people  too  much  by  changing  all  at  once  the  old 
stodgy  way  of  performing  the  work.  However, 
there  is  no  question  of  the  correctness  of  the 
interpretation,  as  there  is  not  a  single  thing  done 
simply  for  effect.  Nevertheless  many  things  are 
effective  simply  because  they  are  the  outcome  of 
the  spirit  of  the  music  itself. 

Happily  the  critics  referred  to — each  of  whom 
has  a  national  reputation — have  gradually  changed 
their  view,  and  this  year  have  fully  justified  the 
rendering,  although  I  have  emphasised  more  than 
ever  every  point  mentioned  in  the  foregoing  analysis. 
The  fact  is  that  after  the  shock  of  the  difference  of 
treatment  had  been  overcome,  the  reasonableness 
of  the  new  interpretation  became  manifest  even  to 
those  who  clung  for  a  while  to  tradition. 


249 


THE  CHORAL  CONDUCTOR. 

In  speaking  of  the  equipment  of  a  choral 
conductor,  it  would  be  easy  to  draw  a  fancy  sketch 
of  what  he  should  be — a  perfect  genius  in  music  ; 
a  master  of  language  and  of  English  in  particular ; 
an  exquisite  in  dress ;  a  paragon  in  manner — but 
these  things,  though  valuable,  must  give  place  to 
other  and  more  serviceable  qualifications  if  success 
is  to  be  attained. 

The  first  thing  a  conductor  requires  is  self- 
reliance,  born  of  mastery  of  the  subject  he  has  to 
conduct  and  confidence  in  himself.  If  he'  is 
nervous  and  apologetic,  if,  when  he  makes  a  slip, 
he  feels  crushed  and  would  like  to  sink  through  the 
floor,  he  had  better  leave  conducting  alone.  It  is 
the  confident,  not-to-be-daunted  man  who  is  fit  to 
be  a  leader  of  men.  Again,  the  conductor  who 
wishes  to  excel  must  be  patient  in  two  senses.  In 
the  first  place  he  must,  till  near  the  performance, 
tolerate  mistakes  without  signs  of  ill-temper, 
remembering  that  it  is  only  a  few  amongst  his 
choir  who  can  do  things  perfectly  from  the  start. 
Let  him  be  prepared  for,  say,  a  score  of  errors  at 
every  rehearsal,  and  count  any  diminution  from 
that  number  as  so  much  gain.  But  it  is  the  second 
kind  of  patience,  i.e.,  waiting  patience,  which  is  the 
more  important.     It  is  in  this  fight  with  time  that 


25o  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

most  conductors  fail.  Whatever  they  do  in  the 
way  of  "  labour "  they  must  learn  to  wait.  No 
greater  mistake  can  be  made  by  aspirants  in  any 
branch  of  art  than  to  suppose  that  as  soon  as  they 
are  fit  for  a  position  the  position  will  come.  Art 
will  have  its  price,  and  waiting  is  part  of  that  price. 
One  may  be  justified  in  believing  that  "  a  stone 
that  is  fit  for  the  wall  is  not  left  in  the  road,"  but 
it  is  often  a  long  time  before  that  stone  is  noticed 
and  put  into  its  proper  place.  Generally  speaking, 
it  takes  an  artist  from  five  to  ten  years  to  get  proper 
recognition.  In  the  case  of  a  conductor  it  usually 
takes  longer,  because  opportunities  for  showing  his 
skill  come  so  seldom.  I  know  a  number  of  musicians 
up  and  down  the  British  Isles  who  might  have  been 
in  high  places,  but  because  they  were  not  quickly 
and  sufficiently  recognised  they  gave  up  the 
struggle;  had  they  had  faith  in  themselves  and 
waited  a  little  longer  they  would  probably  have 
realised  their  highest  ambition.  It  seems  hard  to 
pass  judgment  on  these  men — some  of  them  clever 
conductors — but  this  abandonment  of  the  struggle 
through  hope  being  deferred  is  perhaps  a  proof  that 
they  lacked  the  essential  staying  qualities  which 
every  conductor  must  possess.  Therefore  it  was 
perhaps  fortunate  that  they  quickly  retired. 

PERSONAL    INFLUENCE. 

In  addition  to  the  cardinal  virtue  named  above, 
the  conductor  must  have  power  to  inspire,  incite, 
and  command — a  kind  of  personal  magnetism,  which 
makes  his  persuasive  will  law. 

To  get  this  power  two  things  are  necessary. 
First,  he  must  be  so  thoroughly  master  of  the  work 


THE  REHEARSALS  251 

in  hand  that  the  choir  have  confidence  in  him  and  will 
follow  him  in  everything.  Second,  he  must  be  an 
enthusiast  in  his  work.  To  be  the  master  he  must 
be  at  the  service  of  all.  His  zeal  must  infect  his 
followers,  so  that  the  motto  Do  ut  des  ("I  give 
that  you  may  give  ")  is  faithfully  carried  out.  Let 
these  personal  traits  be  acquired,  and  a  kind  of 
beneficent  autocracy  follows  as  a  matter  of  course. 


THE    REHEARSALS. 

The  conductor  must  take  every  precaution  to 
make  the  rehearsals  interesting.  The  test  of  a 
society's  success  is  the  popularity  of  the  rehearsals, 
and  the  test  of  the  rehearsals  is  the  feeling  that  if 
one  be  not  attended  something  in  the  way  of 
enlightenment  or  pleasure  has  been  missed. 

Plans  for  making  the  rehearsals  stimulating  and 
for  keeping  up  the  interest  have  been  stated  in  a 
previous  chapter,  but  it  was  not  mentioned  that  a 
conductor  must  not  be  dull.  Even  if  he  be  ill  he 
must  keep  a  cheerful  countenance.  He  must 
employ  all  sorts  of  legitimate  devices  for  saving 
time  and  working  to  perfection,  two  of  which  will 
be  found  later  under  the  heads  of  "  Catch  Words  " 
and  "Motto  Words."  In  fact,  thorough  preparation 
in  matter  and  manner  for  eaph  rehearsal  is  the 
touchstone  of  success. 


INTERPRETATION    OF    PIECES. 

The  chief  function  of  a  present-day  conductor  is 
to  interpret  the  music  rather  than  to  conduct  it. 
The  centre  of  gravity  has  been  shifted  from  the 
mechanical  to  the  mental ;  from  merely  directing 


252  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

the  music  to  grasping  and  imparting  the  spirit 
behind  the  notes  and  words.  To  accomplish  this, 
hard  thinking  and  imagination  are  necessary. 
Before  the  ideal  rendering  can  be  given,  the  work 
must  have  been  thoroughly  studied  privately. 
Analysis  must  always  precede  synthesis.  Through 
not  doing  this  conductors  fail  to  give  distinction  to 
performances,  and  they  wonder  why  they  fail. 
Other  people  do  not. 

Having  formulated  the  plan  of  interpretation, 
then  comes  the  task  of  transmitting  it  to  the  choir. 
Remember  that  highly-sensitive  brains  are  a  scarce 
commodity.  But  though  this  be  so,  and  the 
choralists  as  a  body  may  have,  artistically,  a  low 
saturation  point,  they  are  often  quick  at  following 
a  pattern,  and  are  more  enthusiastic  with  their  two 
talents  than  others  who  are  blessed  with  five.  This 
is  the  conductor's  salvation.  He  can  pattern,  they 
will  imitate  ;  he  can  Svengali  them  into  enthusiastic 
response. 

As  to  the  artistic  technique  at  his  disposal,  the 
rules  already  tabulated  give  the  conductor  ample 
scope  for  every  shade  of  expression  or  characteriza- 
tion. But  every  rule  needs  modification  according 
to  the  context  of  the  music.  Herein  the  skill  and 
individuality  of  the  conductor  are  revealed.  It  is 
in  the  judicious  toning-down  of  a  rule,  or  the  carrying 
to  extreme  lengths  of  an  idea  or  principle,  that  the 
artist  is  displayed.  So  let  the  conductor  rejoice 
that  he  has  the  chance  in  almost  every  piece 
of  showing  the  touch  of  a  gifted  soul,  or  at  least 
refinement  of  taste.  But  while  never  neglecting  the 
printed  marks  of  expression,  do  not  let  him  miss 
the  ideal  through  crossing  every  "  t "  and  dotting 
every  "  i,"  or  he  will  be  a  musical  example  of  the 


TACT  253 

man  with  the  muck-rake.  Finally  let  him  remember 
that,  like  the  conjurer  with  his  inexhaustible  hat,  he 
will  get  out  of  the  piece  and  the  choir  exactly  what 
he  has  put  in.  Therefore,  as  the  initiation  of  all 
artistic  results  lies  with  the  conductor,  he  must  sow 
lavishly  to  reap  bountifully. 


TACT. 

The  man  who  lacks  tact  is  not  fit  to  be  a 
conductor.  Tact  is  the  lubricant  that  keeps  the 
administrative  machinery  smoothly  working  when 
heat  and  friction  would  otherwise  arise. 

TACT    IN    REHEARSALS. 

Making  rehearsals  enjoyable  is  a  valuable  kind  of 
tact,  but  it  is  in  the  management  of  the  mass  of 
singers  that  this  quality,  or  the  lack  of  it,  is  made 
most  manifest.  One  of  the  best  methods  is  to  turn 
a  petty  annoyance  into  a  pleasantry,  while  one  of 
the  most  tactless  things  is  to  be  cleverly  sarcastic 
either  to  the  whole  body  or  to  a  single  person.  It 
is  so  easy  and  self-satisfying  to  a  conductor  to 
square  accounts  with  some  offensive  person  by  a 
crushing  impromptu,  that  it  is  hard  to  resist  the 
temptation.  But  these  things  must  be  avoided, 
for,  boomerang-like,  they  always  rebound. 

TACT   WITH    MEMBERS. 

A  conductor  shouid  always  be  accessible  to  every 
member  of  his  choir ;  and  though  it  is  impossible  to 
give  much  time  to  each  person,  whenever  a  member 
speaks  to  him  he  should  not  give  the  impression  of 


254  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

being  either  bored  or  in  a  hurry,  but  imply  that  for 
the  time  being  the  member  is  the  only  person  in 
the  universe.     Consideration  begets  appreciation. 


TACT    WITH    COMMITTEES. 

This  opens  the  question,  "  Is  it  better  to  work 
with  or  without  a  committee  ?  "  I  say  it  is  better 
to  work  with  and  through  a  committee.  Even 
when  a  conductor  is  supposed  to  work  alone  he  has 
always  a  kind  of  informal  committee.  Further, 
autocracy  always  breaks  down.  Conductors  should 
realise  that  a  man  is  a  committee-forming  animal — 
with  a  strong  bias  towards  being  chairman. 
Therefore  they  should  accept  this  fact  of  natural 
history  cheerfully,  and  with  a  view  to  utilising 
collective  brains  for  the  furtherance  of  artistic 
purposes.  By  a  little  tact  this  can  be  done.  You 
make  the  bolts,  the  committee  shoots  them.  As  a 
rule  committees  look  to  the  conductor  for  initiative ; 
therefore  all  he  has  to  do  is  to  propose  a  well- 
thought-out  idea  in  a  courteous  manner,  and  they, 
thankful  that  they  have  got  someone  to  formulate 
their  wishes  so  admirably,  carry  the  proposition 
with  pleasure.  Tact  in  dealing  either  with  choirs 
or  committees  is  simply  displaying  a  prompt  sweet 
reasonableness. 


TACT    IN    CONDUCTING. 

I  once  saw  a  conductor  do  a  most  tactless 
thing.  The  choir  got  out  of  hand  and  sang  much 
too  quickly.  Instead  of  going  with  them,  and  by 
long,  decided  sweeps  of  the  baton  bringing  them  to 
the  proper  tempo,  he  went  on  beating  as  usual  and 


UNRESPONSIVE   CHORALISTS     255 

gesticulating  that  they  were  beats  before  him.  By 
so  doing  he  showed  the  audience  that  there  was 
something  wrong,  and  spoiled  the  effect  of  the 
chorus.  This  illustrates  the  general  principle  that 
when  a  conductor  is  before  the  public  he  must  not 
show  by  any  sign  of  confusion  or  displeasure  that 
anything  is  other  than  perfect.  It  is  always  better 
to  go  on  until  some  favourable  moment  when,  by  a 
look  and  sign,  the  scattered  forces  can  be  re-united. 
Incidentally  it  should  be  said  that  if  the  conductor 
referred  to  had  had  a  firm  square  beat  instead  of 
one  of  the  erratic,  "  curly  "  order,  the  probabilities 
are  that  everything  would  have  gone  as  it  ought  to 
have  done.  Tact  in  conducting  includes  looking 
pleasant,  and,  by  a  quick  eye  and  encouraging 
smile,  calling  forth  that  responsive  whole-hearted 
effort  upon  which,  in  rehearsal,  I  lay  so  much  stress. 

UNRESPONSIVE    CHORALISTS  :    MALCONTENTS. 

A  conductor  came  to  ask  me  what  he  should 
do  under  the  following  circumstances.  He  had 
succeeded  a  man  who  was  worthily  held  in  high 
esteem,  and  whose  good  work  was  often  referred 
to  by  a  certain  few  in  a  way  which  implied 
disparagement  of  himself.  Further,  these  people 
were  partisans  of  an  unsuccessful  candidate,  and 
they  were  covertly  disloyal  to  the  new  conductor. 
This  is  indeed  a  common  trial,  and  one  with  which  I 
could  quite  sympathise,  for  thrice  I  have  passed 
through  the  same  experience.  To  undergo  it  is 
heart-breaking,  because  you  feel  not  only  a  lack  of 
sympathetic  response,  but  that  everything  you  say 
and  do  is  misconstrued,  while  the  covert  indifference 
or  open  rebellion  is  like  an  arctic  trickle  running 


256  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

down  your  spine.  "  The  silent  smile  of  slow 
disparagement "  takes  all  the  heart  out  of  you. 
Then  you  realise  the  full  force  of  the  scriptural 
words,  "  And  he  did  not  many  mighty  works  there, 
because  of  their  unbelief." 

Still,  as  these  conditions  do  exist,  the  question 
arises  "  How  are  they  to  be  met  ?  "  Three  plans 
present  themselves  : 

(i)  Wear  the  malcontents  down  ; 

(2)  Win  them  over ; 

(3)  Shake  off  the  dust  from  your  feet  and  retire. 
Plans  1  and  2  usually  work  concurrently.     To  be 

forewarned  is  to  be  forearmed,  therefore,  as  you 
know  all  these  disloyal  spirits,  prepare  for  their 
opposition  by  putting  on  the  impervious  cloak  of 
indifference  to  all  they  say  and  do.  But  while  you 
ignore  their  conduct,  be  as  polite  to  them  as  possible. 
Surprise  them  by  your  magnanimity.  Make  them 
feel  ashamed  of  themselves.  The  other  members — 
outsiders  in  the  feud,  but  yoursiders  in  sympathy — 
see  the  game  and  consciously  or  unconsciously  help 
you.  In,  say,  two  or  three  seasons  the  malcontents 
will  either  have  withdrawn  or  will  have  become 
your  ardent  supporters.  This  has  been  my 
experience,  at  least.  Should  this  not  happen,  but 
your  opponents  maintain  a  vendetta  spirit,  resign 
your  position,  and  present  your  pearls  to  those  who 
will  appreciate  them,  or  the  worry  will  kill  both 
your  reputation  and  yourself. 

THE    REWARDS    OF    LEADERSHIP. 

Young  aspirants  for  the  conductor's  baton, 
reading  the  above,  and  bearing  in  mind  what  was 
said  about  a  probationary  stage  of  five  or  ten  years' 


THE   REWARDS   OF   LEADERSHIP  257 

hard  work  with  the  choir  on  the  technical  and 
artistic  sides  before  due  recognition  comes,  will 
probably  ask  the  question,  "  Is  the  game  worth  the 
candle  ?  "  To  this  I  say  decidedly  "  Yes."  It  is 
true  that  it  seems  a  long  time  to  look  forward  to, 
but  the  time  will  go  whether  effort  be  made  or  not, 
and  it  will  be  certainly  better  to  have  acquired  some 
assets  at  the  end  of  a  decade  than  to  talk  of  what 
might  have  been. 

But  this  ten  years'  waiting  is  not  all  desert. 
Although  a  conductor  may  not  get  commensurate 
reward  for  his  time,  work,  and  skill,  he  will  get  some 
recognition.  He  will  be  having  continual,  if  humble, 
feasts  by  the  way.  It  is  said  that  to  the  members 
of  each  choir  there  is  only  one  perfect  conductor 
and  that  is  their  own.  If  you  be  that  conductor,  is 
it  nothing  to  have  the  devoted  service  and 
enthusiastic  regard  of  your  own  choir  ;  to  have  them 
helping  you  in  your  ambitions  ;  to  have  the  delights 
of  a  long  vista  of  glorious  successes,  although  made 
merely  in  your  own  little  circle ;  to  feel  that  each 
year  some  progress  has  been  made  and  that  the 
goal  is  nearer  than  it  was ;  to  feel  growing  power 
within  you  and  with  it  an  enlarged  vision  of  what 
you  can  do  in  the  future  ? 

It  is  no  small  thing  to  have  the  delights  mentioned 
above  to  tone  down  the  many  disheartening  worries 
incidental  to  being  in  the  wilderness.  The  sum 
total  of  it  all  is  this :  The  joys  of  the  struggle  are 
worth  the  sacrifices.  Therefore  let  the  determined 
aspirant  "  rejoice  and  be  glad  "  that  there  are  these 
difficulties,  because  they  form  the  testing  fires  which 
eliminate  the  clever  but  weak,  the  brilliant  but  shifty, 
the  steady  but  stodgy,  while  they  bring  out  the  fine 
qualities  of  the  man  of  parts,  power,  and  reliability. 


258  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

HOW   TO    SELECT    A    CHOIR. 

This  question  is  often  asked,  and  it  is  impossible 
to  answer  it  unless  the  conditions  and  the  resources 
of  the  district  are  known.  Further,  the  nature  of 
the  choir,  whether  for  a  village  concert,  a  com- 
petition, or  a  Musical  Festival,  must  be  considered. 
If  it  be  in  a  district  where  singers  are  scarce,  then 
it  is  a  good  policy  to  take  in  everybody  who  wishes 
to  join  the  choir,  and  press  in  every  singer  who 
would  otherwise  stand  aloof.  But  there  are  many 
districts  where  there  is  an  abundance  of  singers  who 
are  only  waiting  for  a  leading  spirit  to  gather  and 
re-organize  the  remains  of  choral  societies  which, 
from  one  cause  or  another,  have  become  defunct  or 
are  in  a  state  of  suspended  animation. 

Assuming  that  singers  are  available,  what  should 
be  the  basis  of  admission  into  a  choir  or  choral 
society  ?  Should  it  be  social  position,  nomination,  or 
individual  examination  ?  It  will  have  to  be  one  of 
the  three.  You  cannot  mix  two  or  three  systems 
together.  I  doubt  if  even  music  would  soothe  the 
breast  of  a  young  lady  who,  having  passed  the  test 
for  admission  successfully,  has  insult  added  to 
injury  when  her  neighbour  gives  her  to  understand 
that  she  (her  neighbour)  is  a  "  superior  person," 
having  been  introduced  by  nomination  and  not 
by  test. 

As  to  the  social  qualifications,  I  am  convinced 
that,  other  things  being  equal,  the  better  a  singer 
has  been  educated  the  more  refined  are  the  results 
obtainable.  But  while  admitting,  with  pleasure, 
that  some  of  the  most  energetic  and  enthusiastic 
singers  I  have  ever  met  are  high  in  the  social  scale, 
it  would  be  fatal  to  a  high  standard  of  performance 


VOICE  AND  READING  POWER     259 

to  elect  members  upon  social  position  alone, 
because  so  many  would  join  and  then  refuse 
to  work.  This  I  have  seen  over  and  over 
again  in  societies.  The  best  plan,  therefore,  is 
to  insist  on  vocal  and  reading  ability  as  being 
the  basis  of  admission  to  a  choir.  This  has 
good  effects  both  positive  and  negative,  for 
while  it  secures  only  useful  members  it  chokes 
off  shoals  of  pretentious  people  who  never  get 
as  far  as  the  examination  room  through  fear  of 
the  test. 


VOICE    AND    READING    POWER. 

I  attach  the  utmost  importance  to  reading  power. 
I  do  not  mean  that  a  person  without  a  voice  at  all 
should  be  admitted ;  but  I  always  prefer  singers 
with  good  average  voices  who  can  read  fairly  well, 
to  singers  with  really  good  voices  who  cannot  read, 
or  can  read  only  indifferently.  The  reasons  for 
this  preference  are  these :  With  good  readers  of 
average  voice  I  can  extract  every  ounce  of  tone 
they  have  in  them  ;  whereas  one  can  never  get  half 
the  normal  power  out  of  a  body  of  poor  readers 
owing  to  their  lack  of  confidence,  while  if  they 
should  take  it  into  their  heads  to  "  sing  out  "  they 
often  do  more  harm  than  good.  Again,  the  confident 
singer,  by  hitting  the  note  fair  in  the  middle, 
gets  twice  or  thrice  the  amplitude  of  vibration, 
with  its  four-fold  or  nine-fold  increase  of 
intensity  and  loudness.  Mathematically  stated 
it  stands  thus : 

Power.     Attack.     Total. 

The  good  voice  (unit  of  power)  4x1=4 

The  average  voice  (unit  of  power)        3x2    =   6 


260  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


STANDARD    OF    READING    TESTS. 

As  to  the  standard  of  the  tests  imposed  upon 
candidates,  these  should  not  only  be  comparatively 
easy,  but  designed  to  show  what  the  candidates 
know  rather  than  to  find  out  what  they  do  not  know. 
There  should  be  (a)  an  easy  voice-test,  (b)  a  time- 
test,  and  (c)  a  tune-test.  But  though  easy  they 
should  be  accurately  done,  as  it  is  this  positive 
certainty  which  gives  the  promise  of  future 
pliability  and  responsiveness.  Some  conductors 
test  candidates  by  choosing  some  difficult  piece 
from  an  oratorio  at  random,  and  if  the  candidate  is 
approximately  correct  he  or  she  is  accepted.  This 
is  not  a  good  method,  as  it  puts  a  premium  on  mere 
guesswork,  and  is  no  test  of  what  a  candidate  is 
able  to  master. 

The  following  are  specimens  of  the  tests  used  by 
the  Sheffield  Musical  Union  : — 

(i)  A  sight-test  in  the  major  mode,  including 
transitions  to  related  keys,  of  moderate 
difficulty : 


I 


*te 


I 


S 


Jl 


f 


?:* 


ri 


Se4 


$ 


7j>- 


***-*- 


=52 


% 


-r-5 


£ 


jEC 


(2)  A  sight-test  in  the  minor  mode,  about  as  long 

as  the  above  (8  or  10  bars) ; 

(3)  A  time-test,  to  be  sung  on  one  tone ; 


CHOICE  OF  VOICES 


261 


I 


(4)  The  voice-test  as  follows,  which  is  required  to 
be  sung  with  clear  articulation,  and  due 
regard  to  expression : 

Allegro. 


25 


!£ 


^m 


For     He    shall  give  His      an 


gels 


t 


-fi      P 


-pi. 


3c=p: 


4z=5c 


c*    — 

charge  o  -  ver    thee,  that  their  hands  shall  uphold  and  guide    thee, 


m 


mk 


n 


lest 


thou  dash  thy    foot    a-  gainst  a      stone,      they 


P 


g  a  r 


/m  mosso. 

-f- 


eg 


=p=* 


shall  pro-  tect 


thee. 


i 


jg-    ^- 


His  mer 

rif. 


a 


^ 


a  tempo. 


n. 


P     i 


T   n* 


t 

.    on     thou -sands,  on 

-*2_= — p- 


on     thou 


sands  fall, 


W 


*F 


^ 


** 


bi£ 


thou sands  fall. 

For  the  World  Tour  Choir  the  voice- tests  were:- 
"  Hear  ye,  Israel  "  (sopranos), 
"  Woe  unto  them  "  (contraltos), 
"  If  with  all  your  hearts  "  (tenors), 
"  Lord  God  of  Abraham  "  (basses). 


CHOICE  OF  VOICES. 


The  saying  that  "  nothing  beats  a  good  old  voice 
except  a  good  young  one  "  is  only  true  when  the 
old  voice  is  a  worn  voice,  and  not  primarily  the 


262  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

voice  of  an  old  singer.  It  I  were  selecting  a  choir 
for,  say,  a  competition,  I  should  prefer  voices  of 
sopranos  and  contraltos  from  twenty  to  forty  years 
of  age,  tenors  and  basses  from  twenty-five  to 
forty-five.  This  is  only  a  rough  average,  because 
some  of  the  best  choralists  I  know,  both  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  have  attained  their  jubilee.  Certainly 
the  rich,  mature,  mellow  voices  of  the  middle  age 
are  to  be  preferred  to  the  thinner  voices  of  the 
young  singers.  But  some  one  may  remark,  "  Do 
we  not  miss  the  ring  of  young,  fresh  voices  in  the 
choir  formed  of  older  people  ?  "  Not  of  necessity. 
Voices  are  what  we  term  fresh  when  they  attack  the 
notes  firmly  with  good  ring,  and  are  free  from  the 
upward  "  scoop  "  and  the  downward  "  swoop  "  and 
the  harsh  metallic  quality  which  some  singers 
develop.  As  these  defects  more  frequently  occur 
in  old  singers  than  in  young  ones  we  associate  them 
with  the  seniors.  But  really,  if  care  be  taken,  old 
singers  can  keep  their  voices  fresh  and  vigorous, 
while  they  have  the  advantage  of  fulness  and 
power.  While  making  this  defence  of  old  singers  I 
do  not  undervalue  young  ones.  Young,  clear, 
bright  voices  form  the  complement  of  the  mature 
voices,  and  should  never  be  absent  from  a  choir. 
The  ideal  choir  is  one  in  which  both  old  and  young 
are  represented — that  is,  if  the  old  singers  have  taken 
care  of  their  voices.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  they 
have  developed  a  shrill,  wiry,  drawling  tone,  drastic 
measures  should  be  taken  to  exclude  these  fossilized 
voices.  Therefore  it  would  be  a  good  thing  if  every 
important  society  were  to  pass  a  rule  to  have  a 
re-examination  of  every  one  of  its  members  once 
every  five  years.  Further  consideration  is  given  to 
this  subject  under  the  heading  next  to  be  considered. 


263 


COMPETITIONS. 

Although  choral  singing  has  made  tremendous 
progress  both  in  quantity  and  quality  during  the 
last  fifty  years,  and  more  especially  during  the 
twentieth  century,  the  great  outstanding  fact  has 
been  the  astounding  development  of  the  competitive 
musical  festival,  which  has  now  an  assured  place  in 
the  musical  life  of  the  British  Empire. 

Therefore  it  will  not  excite  surprise  if  I  state 
that  I  have  received  scores  of  letters  asking  for 
advice  on  matters  relating  to  competitions,  such  as 
the  choice  of  test-pieces,  how  to  perform  them,  how 
to  select  voices  and  train  them,  balance  of  parts, 
how  to  maintain  pitch,  &c.  The  accumulated 
evidence  that  thousands  of  earnest-souled  conductors 
are  keenly  interested  in  the  varied  topics  connected 
with  competitions  has  greatly  influenced  me  in 
writing  these  pages. 

Though  designed  for  the  choral  society  conductor 
in  general,  I  have  ever  kept  in  mind  the  competitive 
conductor  who,  as  a  rule,  likes  to  know  the  why 
and  the  wherefore  of  everything  that  affects  marks 
at  a  competition.  But  though  I  have  gone  fairly 
well  into  details,  I  propose  to  give,  in  these  final 
chapters,  hints,  suggestions,  directions,  and  advice 
which  the  ordinary  society  conductor  would  think 
too  minute,  too  exacting,  or  too  elaborate  for  an 


264  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

ordinary  choral  society,  but  which  conductors  and 
choirs  who  delight  in  competitive  struggles  will 
examine  carefully  to  find  a  few  grains  of  wheat  to 
add  to  the  desired  garner  of  ioo  per  cent. 

It  should  be  said  that  in  the  following  pages 
nothing  is  suggested  or  recommended  that  has  not 
been  put  to  the  test  and  found  to  be  of  advantage 
artistically.  My  apology  for  mentioning  some 
apparently  trivial  matters  is  that  I  know  that 
competing  choirs  have  nothing  to  give  away,  and 
nothing  must  be  overlooked  which  is  likely  to  yield 
a  point  or  even  half  that  amount. 


THE    PENALTY    OF   COMPETING. 

The  primary  fact  which  should  be  burned  into  the 
mind  of  every  competitor,  from  the  conductor  to  the 
humblest  member  of  the  choir,  is  that  trouble  is 
inevitable.  This  trouble  may  be  taken  before  or 
after  the  event.  If  taken  before,  it  assumes  the 
form  of  hard  work  and  self-sacrifice.  If  competitors 
refuse  to  take  it  in  this  form  they  get  trouble  all 
the  same,  only  it  comes  after  the  event  in  the  shape 
of  disappointment  and  chagrin  which  may  rankle 
for  years.  Therefore,  let  each  competitor  be 
prepared  to  take  just  the  kind  of  trouble  which  he 
or  she  is  called  upon  to  bear,  and  not  begin  the 
slacker's  whine  that  if  it  had  only  been  some  other 
kind  of  burden  or  pinch  they  would  have  borne  it 
without  a  murmur.  Really  there  should  not  be  a 
murmur,  because  if  anyone  goes  into  a  competition 
in  the  right  spirit,  the  doing,  striving,  and  working 
are  the  pleasant  features  of  the  whole  business, 
just  as  the  exhausting  efforts  in  hockey,  tennis, 
football,   and   cricket   are   the  joy    of    the  sport. 


HOW  TO  ACHIEVE  SUCCESS      265 

Therefore  let  the  point  of  view  be,  Work  with 
pleasure,  and  the  outcome  will  be  the  pleasure 
with  the  work. 


HOW    TO   ACHIEVE    SUCCESS. 

The  heartbreaking  thing  about  many  societies  is 
the  "  Come  easy,  go  easy "  attitude  of  a  large 
percentage  of  the  members.  In  a  competitive  choir 
you  stand  on  a  different  platform.  You  can  regard 
inertia  as  non-existent,  and  can  frame  your  plans  on 
fighting  lines.  Therefore,  as  you  have  only  to 
command  and  obedience  is  given,  let  the  following 
be  two  of  your  working  axioms  : — 

(a)  Method  is  the  secret  of  success  ; 

(b)  Divide  and  conquer. 

Do  everything  methodically  in  the  sense  that  you 
know  why  you  are  doing  it,  and  do  not  try  to  do  too 
many  things  at  once.  First  make  sure  of  the 
music,  then  the  words,  then  the  expression,  then  the 
blend  and  balance  of  voices,  the  attack  and  release. 
Of  course  these  things  will  be  considered  together, 
but  let  the  emphasis  be  placed  on  each  point  in 
turn,  so  that  it  may  not  be  overlooked. 

HOW    TO    MASTER    THE    MUSIC. 

To  accomplish  this  in  the  minimum  of  time  it  is 
essential  that  the  conductor  be  absolutely  familiar 
with  every  note  before  the  rehearsals  begin.  I 
do  not  know  whether  it  be  telepathy,  sympathy,  or 
what,  but  if  a  conductor  knows  the  work,  somehow 
the  choir  learns  it  in  half  the  time,  although  he  may 
say  little  and  correct  less  frequently  than  if  he  did 
not  know  the  work  well. 


266  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

Therefore  he  should  obtain  the  music  at  the 
earliest  moment  and  play  it  over — or  better,  get 
someone  else  to  play  it — a  dozen  times.  Personally 
I  find  a  score  of  times  preferable.  This  is  to  get  a 
subconscious  grasp  of  the  key  progressions  and  a 
sense  of  the  harmonic  structure.  Meanwhile  he 
should  sing  each  part  in  succession  and  put  a 
circle  round  every  difficult  interval  for  reference  at 
rehearsal.  Specially  hard  or  strange  transitions 
and  unusual  discords  should  be  played  over  and 
over  again  till  they  have  sunk  into  his  inner 
consciousness.  With  this  equipment,  and  con- 
current independent  study  of  the  words,  he  will  be 
prepared  to  begin  rehearsals. 


THE    FIRST    REHEARSAL. 

As  an  index  of  the  earnest,  thorough  spirit  which 
is  to  be  characteristic  of  the  whole  preparation  and 
consummation  of  the  contest,  tackle  the  difficulties 
at  once  by  the  Specializing  Method  (see  pages 
13,  14).  Take  each  difficult  interval  seriatim, 
and  insist  upon  every  member  putting  a  ring  round 
each  treacherous  leap  in  his  or  her  part. 


THE    BLUE    PENCIL. 

Here  allow  me  to  digress  for  a  few  words  on  the 
blue  pencil.  It  should  be  a  law  of  the  Medes  and 
Persians  that  every  member  has  always  a  blue 
pencil  to  mark  all  instructions  from  the  desk. 
Some  clever  ones  will  object  to  the  unnecessary 
labour,  but  insist,  or  you  will  pray  to  be  delivered 
from  "clever  but  idle  choristers,"  who  are  a  terror 
to   the   conductor.     The   uses  of   the  blue  pencil 


WORDS  267 

are  manifold.  The  mere  re-marking  of  an  existing 
mark  calls  attention  to  the  composer's  wishes,  and 
supplementary  signs  are  often  needed.  The  marks 
help  the  singers  to  memorise  the  music  more 
quickly  by  acting  as  guide-posts,  and  when  used  at 
the  concert  or  contest  the  singer  can  see  these  at  a 
glance,  and  they  are  reminders  at  the  supreme 
moment  of  performing.  Therefore  insist  on  its  use, 
for  great  is  the  power  of  the  blue  pencil.  After 
this  digression  we  will  proceed  with  the  rehearsal. 

The  cautionary  explanations  having  been  given, 
the  music  should  be  attempted  and  repeated  until 
the  general  "  hang  "  of  the  work  has  been  realised. 
If  errors  are  made,  call  attention  to  them,  but  do  not 
let  them  delay  you,  as  you  will  deal  with  them  later 


WORDS. 

As  mentioned  before,  the  words  are  usually  the 
weakest  part  in  a  rendering,  more  marks  being  lost 
in  this  section  than  any  other.  Therefore,  from  the 
first,  great  attention  should  be  given  to  the  words. 
It  would  be  found  an  admirable  thing  to  have  three 
minutes'  lip,  tongue,  and  mouth  (facial  muscles) 
drill  at  each  rehearsal,  going  through  the  articulatory 
exercises  given  on  page  84. 

After  the  music  has  been  tried,  the  conductor 
should  pattern  the  words  for  the  choir  to  imitate 
and  memorise  in  the  process.  The  plot  or  idea  of 
the  poem  should  be  explained,  and  the  meaning  of 
obscure  or  unusual  words  should  be  made  clear. 
This  will  prevent  misconceptions  and  quaint 
questions,  such  as  one  that  arose  after  singing 
the   line 

"  O  with  what  divers  pains  they  met," 


268  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

when  a  young  lady  in  my  choir  asked,  M  Do  divers 
have  special  pains  ?  " 

The  latter  part  of  the  rehearsal  might  be  devoted 
to  arranging  special  private  sectional  rehearsals  for 
each  part,  the  object  being  to  perfect  the  knotty 
points  in  each  division.  These  private  rehearsals 
are  invaluable.  When  the  Sheffield  Musical  Union 
had  Beethoven's  Mass  in  D  to  get  up  in  less  than  a 
month  for  the  Kruse  Festival  performance  in 
Queen's  Hall,  London,  the  sopranos  formed  them- 
selves into  groups  of  about  a  dozen,  and  rehearsed 
at  each  other's  nouses.  The  contraltos,  tenors,  and 
basses  did  the  same,  with  the  result  that  I  doubt  if 
ever  so  difficult  a  work  was  got  up  so  well  in 
so  short  a  time.  This  plan  should  be  followed  by 
competing  choirs,  as  it  not  only  tends  to  note- 
perfection,  but  develops  that  enthusiasm  which  is 
essential  to  real  success — a  brilliant  performance, 
whether  the  prize  be  won  or  not. 


THE    VOICE. 

The  importance  of  the  voice  in  all  choral  work, 
and  especially  in  competitions,  is  so  manifest  that 
nothing  need  be  said  to  emphasise  this  fact. 

The  two  features  which  need  chief  attention  from 
a  contesting  point  of  view  are,  first,  the  selection  of 
the  proper  class  of  voices,  and  secondly,  the 
cultivation  of  homogeneity  so  as  to  secure  perfect 
blend.  With  respect  to  the  first  point,  I  would 
strongly  recommend  that  efforts  be  made  to 
include  a  certain  proportion,  say  15  per  cent,  to 
20  per  cent.,  of  voices  which  are  pure  in  quality 
even  though  they  may  be  light  in  quantity.  This 
applies  especially  to  sopranos  and  tenors.     These 


THE   VOICE  269 

clear,  pure  voices  have  a  value  far  beyond  their 
mere  volume  of  sound.  They  have  a  carrying 
power  which  is  of  great  importance  in  giving  clear 
outline  to  the  melody  or  theme,  even  when  it  appears 
in  the  lower  parts.  This  purity  of  tone  cuts  through 
the  less  pure  sounds,  and  the  fuller  but  duller, 
sometimes  rather  breathy,  voices  seem  to  build 
round  or  coalesce  with  the  clear,  pure  tones  and 
make  a  grand  compound  tone,  which  is  suffused 
with  the  radiance  of  the  lighter,  brighter  voices. 
Therefore  if  you  require,  say,  twenty-five  sopranos, 
and  you  have  the  chance  of  taking  that  number  of 
full,  rich  voices  which  can  reach  B  flat  with  or 
without  an  effort,  you  would  act  wisely  to  reject 
five  in  favour  of  the  same  number  of  light,  pure- 
toned  sopranos.  I  have  singers  in  my  choir,  in  all 
parts,  who  are  known  to  have  light  voices  in  solo 
work,  but  who  are  regarded  by  their  colleagues  as 
amongst  the  very  best  singers,  on  account  of  the 
carrying  and  binding  effect  of  their  voices.  Some 
years  ago  the  theoretical  carrying  power  of  weak 
but  pure  sounds  was  practically  demonstrated  to 
me.  I  was  in  the  country,  and  heard  in  the  distance 
a  boy  whistling.  As  the  lumbering  cart  which  he 
was  driving  came  nearer,  its  noise  drowned 
the  whistling,  but  as  it  passed,  the  pure  sound 
became  louder  and  louder.  This  is  what  I  have 
realised  again  and  again  in  my  choir.  It  is  the 
pure  voice,  even  when  it  is  not  powerful,  that  tells. 
For  securing  quality,  unity,  and  blending  in  the 
choir  as  a  whole,  there  should  be  ten  minutes' 
practice  of  Exercise  1  on  the  lines  recommended  on 
pages  22-24.  Another  plan  which  I  have  found  very 
useful  is  to  have  the  singers  ranged  round  the 
room   in  a  circle.      The  conductor,   being  in   the 


2;o  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

centre,  is  able  to  get  to  any  singer  and  listen  as  he 
or  she  sings,  and  give  such  hints  as  are  necessary. 
It  puts  the  singers  on  their  mettle,  because  a  tactful 
conductor  commends  audibly  all  good  singers  and 
singing.  As  both  the  maintenance  of  pitch  and  the 
development  of  artist  tone  require  the  same  kind  of 
voice-production,  each  piece  should  occasionally  be 
hummed  through,  not  only  to  cultivate  these 
excellences,  but  to  promote  good  chording,  balance, 
and  blend,  for  if  these  points  are  perfectly  secured 
in  soft  singing  there  is  small  fear  of  falling  off  in 
forte  passages.  The  phrase  "  Sing  with  your  ears  " 
is  a  favourite  direction,  which  quickens  perception 
both  in  chording  and  in  keeping  the  pitch. 

EXPRESSION. 

After  the  exhaustive  treatment  alreadygiven  to  the 
subject,  there  seems  little  left  to  say  on  expression  ; 
but  there  are  one  or  two  points  which  the  conductor 
would  do  well  to  consider,  as  I  have  found  them 
very  useful.  The  first  point  is :  Get  steeped  in, 
and  grasp,  the  atmosphere  of  the  piece  during  its 
frequent  reiteration.  Always  endeavour  to  get 
inside  the  subtleties  of  a  piece.  In  this  spirit,  at 
each  rehearsal  look  out  for  and  seize  upon  any 
feature  which  will  bear  development  in  order  to 
produce  a  legitimate  and  striking  effect.  If  the 
word  or  music  seems  to  demand  a  special  emphasis 
or  shading-off  that  is  not  indicated  in  the  printed 
copy,  put  it  to  the  test  by  getting  it  performed  as 
you  suggest,  and  if  the  effect  be  good  and  "  in  the 
picture,"  incorporate  it  in  the  design  of  expression. 
This  varying  of  expression  is  common  enough  in 
concert  performances,  but  to  make  any  change  in 


IMPULSE  FROM  WITHIN  271 

a  test-piece  is  a  very  debatable  point,  and  sometimes 
very  risky,  because  some  adjudicators  are  fossilized 
legalists,  who  abide  by  the  letter  and  ignore  the 
spirit  of  a  piece  beyond  what  is  in  black  and 
white.  Fortunately  the  majority  of  adjudicators  are 
responsive  to  everything  that  is  artistically  correct, 
and  they  appreciate  little  touches  which  show  well- 
judged  perception.  Personally  I  believe  there  may 
be  several  correct  ways  of  rendering  a  phrase,  and 
if  the  rendering  at  the  contest  shows  proper 
proportion  and  unity  of  design  I  give  full  marks, 
although  the  printed  instructions  may  not  have 
been  strictly  followed. 


SINGING   WITH    IMPULSE    FROM    WITHIN. 

The  next  point  I  lay  stress  upon  is  this :  Inspire 
the  choir  to  sing  "  through  the  impulse  from 
within."  The  ideal  choralist  is  one  who  learns  the 
piece  so  thoroughly  that  he  becomes  a  reflex  of  the 
conductor's  wishes.  But  there  is  something  even 
beyond  this,  viz.,  becoming  so  imbued  with  the 
spirit  behind  every  note  and  nuance  that  the  work 
could  be  sung  without  any  guidance  at  all  from  the 
conductor.  It  is  this  singing  from  within  that  gives  the 
glow  of  super-excellence  to  a  performance,  because 
the  ethereal  essence  of  the  soul  is  thereby  revealed. 


PERSONIFICATION    OF    ABSTRACT    EXPRESSION. 

It  is  when  a  large  body  of  choralists  sing  with 
this  impulse  from  the  inner  consciousness  that  the 
expression  seems  to  become  personified,  as  though 
it  were  a  living  thing.  Then  every  rise  and  fall  of 
sound,  every  accent,  pressure-note^  or  shading-ofi 


272  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

appears  to  be  the  manifestation  of  a  sentient  being, 
a  something  quite  apart  and  distinct  from  the 
persons  who  are  the  vehicle  of  the  sounds. 

This  facility  should  be  aimed  at  because  when  it 
is  realised  the  listeners,  including  adjudicators,  are 
simply  carried  away  by  its  subtle  effect. 


SINGING    FROM    MEMORY.      RESTS. 

No  singer  should  be  allowed  to  sing  in  a 
competition  who  has  not  learnt  the  words  and  music 
by  heart.  It  is  only  by  this  thoroughness  that  the 
best  mechanical  results  can  be  obtained,  to  which 
must  be  added  the  inward  impulse  just  mentioned. 
Still,  notwithstanding  that  the  choir  may  know  the 
music  perfectly,  the  singers  should  use  the  copies  at 
the  performance.  A  glance  will  remind  them  of 
critical  or  delicate  phrases,  and  keep  them  right 
when  there  are  rests.  More  catastrophes  at 
performances  occur  through  neglect  of  "rests"  than 
from  any  other  cause.  The  things  which  make  me 
run  cold  when  I  recall  them  are  connected  with  the 
rests.  Of  course  what  is  a  tragedy  to  one  person 
may  be  a  comedy  to  another.  Once  when  I  was 
adjudicating  at  Keighley  a  choir  was  singing  finely 
and  with  triumphant  swing,  when  an  absent-minded 
beggar  came  in  boldly  at  a  rest.  The  conductor 
gave  a  tremendous  stamp,  and  exclaimed  "  That 's 
done  it."  It  was  as  he  said.  This  shows  (a)  the 
importance  of  calling  attention  to  "rests,"  especially 
where  similar  phrases  have  pauses  of  different 
lengths,  as  in  the  first  chorus  of  The  Golden  Legend 
and  in  the  "  Soldiers'  Chorus"  from  Berlioz's  Faust, 
and  (b)  suggests  that  it  is  too  risky  to  sing  without 
occasionally  glancing  at  the  copies. 


CATCH  WORDS  273 

CATCH-WORDS. 

There  are  certain  errors  which  in  every  season, 
and  almost  at  every  rehearsal,  recur  over  and  over 
again  with  the  inevitability  of  recurring  decimals, 
and  it  becomes  tiresome  to  have  to  repeat  the  same 
old  reproof  or  caution  in  the  same  dull,  prosy, 
matter-of-fact  fashion.  But  if  you  can  convey  the 
correction  in  a  pleasant  or  humorous  manner,  you 
gain  your  point  by  changing  irritation  into 
inspiration. 

Whenever  possible  I  endeavour  to  get  a  word  or 
short  phrase  to  embody  a  well-understood  idea, 
and  by  its  use  prevent  long  explanations,  corrections, 
and  tiresome  reproofs. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  tell  how  much  time  and 
temper  have  been  saved  by  such  words  as  "  No 
inertia,"  "  Make  it  cut,"  or  "  Cut,"  "Happy  land," 
"  Back  again,"  "  Thrill."  These  represent  different 
ideals,  and  they  give  in  few  words  a  warning,  a 
reproof,  or  stimulus,  often  while  the  choir  are 
singing. 

The  word  "Cut"  refers  to  giving  the  supreme 
edge  of  virtuosity  to  vocal  effort.  It  sprang  into  life 
at  the  closing  rehearsals  for  an  important  musical 
festival.  The  pieces  were  going  splendidly,  but  still 
I  was  not  quite  satisfied.  Some  members  with  strong 
tendencies  towards  inertia  blurred,  by  their  lack  of 
quick  response,  the  photographic  clearness  of  the 
attack,  release,  words,  or  expression,  which  was 
necessary  to  give  the  desired  100  per  cent,  in  every 
division.  So  I  said  to  them,  "  You  all  know  that 
in  making  a  razor,  after  all  the  material  has  been 
prepared,  the  blade  has  to  be  forged,  smithed, 
hardened,  ground,  glazed,   and   polished.     In   the 


274  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

hafting  quite  as  many  processes  have  to  be  gone 
through.  Notwithstanding  these  processes  and  the 
value  of  the  materials,  the  razor  is  useless  unless  it 
is  carefully  whetted — that  is,  given  a  cutting  edge. 

"  Now  if  it  would  be  foolish  not  to  give  the 
cutting  edge  to  the  razor  after  the  whole  of  the 
work  of  preparation  had  been  done,  it  would  be 
equally  foolish  of  you  not  to  crown  your  work  by 
putting  forth  the  final  effort  of  carefulness,  alertness, 
and  overcoming  inertia,  to  give  clear  words,  delicate 
shadings,  massive  climaxes,  &c,  and  thus  secure 
thrills,  by  making  your  singing  '  cut'  " 

After  many  a  concert  members  have  come  to  me 
and  said,  "  Haven't  we  made  it  '  cut ' !  " 

The  phrase  "  Happy  land "  has  proved  very 
useful.  It  relates  to  the  common  fault  of  omitting 
the  aspirates.  Everybody  knows  that  they  should 
be  given,  but  in  singing  they  are  frequently  dropped. 
To  call  attention  to  the  omission  in  a  direct 
way  might  be  taken  as  an  insult ;  therefore  I 
call  attention  to  it  by  the  words  "  Happy  land," 
which  arose  in  this  way :  We  were  rehearsing 
a  phrase  which  contained  several  aspirates,  which 
were  not  given.  I  did  not  wish  to  suggest  that  the 
singers  did  not  know  how  to  do  the  correct  thing,  so 
I  said,  "I  will  tell  you  a  storv  and  you  shall  apply 
the  moral  yourselves  "  : — 

"  A  man  was  singing  ■  'Appy  land,  'Appy  land, 

0  is  not  this  a  'Appy   land.'       His   friend    said 

1  Tom,  why  don't  you  mind  your  aitches,'  to  which 
Tom  replied,  with  superior  scorn,  '  That  shows  you 
know  nothing  about  music  ;  it  only  goes  to  G.'  " 

The  shaft  struck  home,  and  now  it  is  only 
necessary  to  say  "  'Appy  land "  to  correct  a 
common  and  recurring  error. 


MOTTO  WORDS  275 

MOTTO    WORDS. 

However  ardent  choristers  may  be,  there  comes 
a  time  when  the  incessant  strain  of  preparation 
becomes  so  irksome  that  a  stimulus  of  some  sort  is 
necessary.  It  therefore  becomes  imperative  for 
conductors  to  counteract  this  physical  weariness  by 
some  mental  uplift.  This  I  have  found  can  be 
supplied  by  any  short  phrase  which  represents  an 
ideal  for  the  singer.  These  phrases  or  words  I 
call  "  Motto  words  "  ;  their  influence  is  somewhat 
similar  to  that  of  "Excelsior"  in  the  poem. 

As  a  practical  illustration  I  will  take  the  words 
"  The  unexpected "  and  "  The  impossible." 
When  preparing  for  the  first  Sheffield  Festival  I 
told  the  choir  that  the  critics  would  expect  very 
good  voices,  but  not  brilliant  tone ;  grand  fortes,  but 
not  overpowering  climaxes;  delightful  pianos,  but 
not  ethereal  shadings  ;  clear  words,  but  not  perfect 
diction.  These  unlooked-for  excellences  being 
unexpected  would  captivate  and  thrill  them,  there- 
fore the  point  to  work  up  to  and  for  was — 
"  The  unexpected."  The  words  acted  like  a 
charm,  an  ideal  was  set  up,  and  all  worked  until 
"  The  unexpected  "  was  realised. 

At  the  following  festival  we  had  several  difficult 
works  in  which  real  perfection  was  never  expected, 
because  it  was  thought  impossible  for  a  large  body 
of  singers  to  acquire  the  vocal  technique  demanded, 
nor  could  they  attain  the  required  flexibility  of  voice. 
It  will  be  seen  that  to  reach  perfection  we  had  to 
achieve  "  The  impossible."  This  became  our 
watchword,  and  was  both  a  challenge  and  a 
stimulus.  Could  we  do  the  "  Impossible"?  Well, 
we  would  try,  and,  as  results  proved,  we  succeeded. 


276  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

Motto  words  should  be  reserved  for  supreme 
events  such  as  musical  festivals  and  important 
competitions.  Let  each  conductor  seize  upon 
some  word  or  ideal  which  arises  out  of  the  test- 
piece  or  the  conditions  of  the  competition,  and  then 
he  will  be  able  to  use  the  Motto  with  electrical 
effect. 

Let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  there  must  be  an 
ideal,  because  the  words  used  are  simply  a  terse 
way  of  glorifying  the  preconceived  idea. 

THE    EXCELLENCE    OF    CUMULATIVE    EFFECT. 

The  present-day  conductor  must  aim  at  excellence 
in  every  detail  of  every  piece  performed.  This  is 
a  somewhat  different  attitude  from  that  of  old. 
The  unimportant  choruses  of  an  oratorio  were 
treated  with  scant  respect,  and  all  the  trouble  was 
devoted  to  the  favourites.  Many  a  time  have  I 
heard  it  said,  "  Oh,  never  mind  this  chorus  going 
badly ;  wait  till  we  give  'The  Heavens  are  telling'"; 
or  "It  does  not  matter  how  we  sing  '  He  trusted  in 
God';  we'll  show  them  'Who  is  the  King  of  Glory'"  ! 
This  "in-and-out"  singing  must  be  avoided,  because 
every  time  the  mind  of  the  audience  is  allowed  to 
lose  its  grip  of  perfection  it  takes  some  time  to  get 
it  back  to  an  appreciative  mood ;  whereas  if  a 
consistent  level  of  excellence  is  maintained,  the 
cumulative  effect  is  such  that  the  hearers  pass  from 
pleasure  to  excitement,  ending  in  rapturous  delight. 
Several  festivals  that  I  recall  owe  the  unique 
impression  they  made  to  this  fact.  The  works 
taken  singly  were  not  sufficient  to  arouse  such 
wonderful  enthusiasm;  but  as  each  one  in  succession 
was  perfectly  rendered,  the  mind  was  dazzled  and 


CONCENTRATION  AT  THE  END    277 

the  soul  was  carried  away  in  wonder  and  rapture. 
Therefore,  in  competitions  have  no  weak  or  doubtful 
phrases.  "  Leave  no  unguarded  place,"  but  "  from 
strength  to  strength  go  on,"  and  you  will  carry  the 
adjudicators  with  you. 


CONCENTRATION    AT    THE    END. 

In  all  important  work  care  must  be  taken  not  to 
get  stale.  Always  leave  sufficient  freshness  to  be 
able  to  give  concentration  to  the  final  touches. 
At  the  last  rehearsals  I  often  let  the  choir  do 
very  little  singing,  but  call  attention  to  each 
topic  seriatim,  taking  the  more  difficult  points 
of  technique  first.  For  instance,  every  sforzando 
or  fp  is  referred  to  and  patterned,  and  perhaps 
imitated  by  the  choir  ;  staccatos  are  referred  to  ;  all 
pianissimo  passages  are  sung ;  the  words  in  special 
places  are  repeated,  points  of  imitation  are  tried, 
and  a  word  of  encouragement  given.  This 
specialization  and  concentration,  while  they  rest  the 
voice  and  the  body,  call  attention  to  the  salient 
points  which  have  been  already  mastered,  but  which 
must  be  at  command  at  the  critical  moment  of 
performance. 

VALUE    OF    PRINTED    DIRECTIONS. 

In  the  course  of  the  preparation  circumstances 
may  arise  which  tend  to  chill  or  dishearten  the 
singers.  Some  important  member  may  be  laid 
aside  by  illness  ;  others  may  be  dissatisfied  ;  there 
may  be  disunion,  or  the  work  undertaken  may  be 
too  great  to  be  done  in  the  given  time.  In  these 
and  similar  circumstances  it  will  be  necessary  to 


278  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

adopt  some  means  to  maintain  enthusiasm,  and  to 
brace  the  members  for  the  task  in  hand.  A 
cheerful  spirit  on  the  part  of  the  conductor  is  a 
great  factor.  But  something  is  wanted  to  plead 
with  the  singer  when  the  conductor  is  absent ; 
therefore  an  occasional  well-considered  personal 
appeal  in  the  form  of  a  circular  or  manifesto  often 
produces  the  desired  results.  As  an  ounce  of 
example  and  fact  is  of  more  weight  than  a  pound  of 
surmise  and  precept,  I  beg  to  illustrate  this  point 
by  circulars,  &c,  which  I  issued  on  one  or  two 
important  occasions.  These  have  been  in  such 
request  by  conductors  and  others  that  their 
publication  may  be  found  very  acceptable  (see 
Appendix  II.). 

Finally,  I  would  say  that  although  I  have 
endeavoured  to  meet  every  problem  connected  with 
Choral  Technique  and  Interpretation,  there  may 
be  and  probably  are  topics  upon  which  some 
readers  may  require  further  information.  Any 
queries  on  these  topics,  addressed  to  the  writer, 
c/o  Novello  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  shall  have  every  attention. 


The  tabulated  "Notes  of  Interpretation"  given  in 
Appendix  I.  will  illustrate  in  part  the  manner  in 
which  the  foregoing  principles  of  expression  can  be 
applied.  Different  types  of  compositions  have  been 
purposely  selected. 


279 


APPENDIX   I 

The  following  are  Notes  on  some  of  the 
Pieces  which  were  sung  at  Queen's  Hall, 
London,  on  June  ist,  1911,  in  connection  with 
the  International  Conference  of  Musicians; 
and  on  the  world  tour,  ioii. 

You  are  requested  to  number  each  bar  of  each  piece  carefully, 
and  to  write  on  each  copy  the  instructions  relating  to  your  own 
part,  as  well  as  all  general  instructions. 

The  pieces  chosen  are  of  the  highest  class,  and  are  worthy  of 
selection  on  account  of  their  excellence,  and  also  as  affording 
the  choir  full  scope  for  their  powers. 

Madrigals  in  general  are  inadequately  performed,  either 
because  the  proper  idea  of  how  to  interpret  madrigals  is  not 
grasped,  or  because  the  singers  will  not  be  at  the  trouble  of 
mastering  the  difficult  phrasing.  What  is  required  is  that  the 
themes  or  points  of  imitation  should  be  known  to  the  singer, 
and  then  sung  in  such  a  way  as  to  individualise  each  subject 
without  obscuring  the  entry  of  the  point  of  imitation  in  the 
succeeding  voices. 

The  following  hints  are  given  to  enable  this  to  be  done. 

"  HOSANNA  TO  THE  SON  OF  DAVID."       Gibbons. 


This  contains  five  principal  subji 

;cts  :— 

The 

first  extends  from  bar 

I 

to 

II. 

«> 

second 

>> 

>> 

>> 

II 

>> 

21. 

>> 

third 

»> 

n 

n 

21 

>> 

37- 

>> 

fourth 

>> 

>> 

M 

37 

»> 

40. 

n 

fifth 

•i 

>» 

>> 

4i 

H 

49. 

and  from  bar  50  to  66  the  first  theme  is  worked  up  to  the 
final  climax. 


280  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


Detailed  Instructions. 


Bar. 

i 


2 

4 
ii 

12 
12 

19  and  20 
21 

22 


26 

30 
37 


Beat. 
I 


2 

i  and  2 


Voice. 
Tenor 


istS. 
2nd  C. 

B. 
1st  C. 


istS. 
T.&B. 

1st  S. 


istC. 
2ndC. 


C.&S. 
1st  S. 

2nd  S. 

2nd  S. 

1st  S. 
T.&B. 


First  Theme,  given  by  tenors,  to  be 
phrased  as  follows : — 


[-^-J^-i|J-J  Q    £L|-J-^ 

Ho  -  san  -  na  to  the  Son      of      Da  -  vid 
Firm  attack  at  ••  Ho." 


Bass  entry  „ 

M 

At  each  succeeding  entry  follow  this 

plan. 
Strike  B  flat  firmly  and  truly,  then 

dim.  in  all  parts  at  word  "  David." 
These     commence     second    subject 

at    "  Blessed."      Emphasise    first 

syllable. 
Pressure      on      syncopated      C     at 

"  Blessed,"   then   dim.   to   end    of 

phrase. 
Marked  pressure  at  "  Bless." 

>>  >>  »» 

This  pattern  to  be  well  followed  in 
all  parts. 

Sing  words  clearly  on  crotchets  in 
soprano  and  contralto. 

Fresh  theme  started  in  sopranos. 
Sing  "  Blessed  be  the  "  with  marked 
entry. 

Counter  theme  "  Blessed  be  the " 
to  be  struck  firmly  and  sung 
prominently  for  four  notes. 

This  phrasing  is  continued  to  bar  37. 

Climax  note  D  to  be  sung  with 
jubilation. 

This  phrase  to  be  treated  in  same  way. 

Strike  firmly,  then  molto  dim.  to  piano, 
so  as  not  to  interfere  with  p  entry 
of  sopranos  and  contraltos  at  beat 
2.  Secure  real  p  in  eacli  part  from 
bar  37  to  first  beat  of  bar  41. 


APPENDIX  I. 


281 


Bar. 
41 


44 
45 

46 
48 

49 
50 


Beat. 

Voice. 

2 

2ndS. 

2 

2ndC. 

3 

istC. 

4 

2ndS. 

4 

istS. 

Fifth  subject  started ;  the  first  seven 
notes  "and  Glory  in  the  Highest" 
must  be  emphasised. 

Theme  to  be  brought  out,  other  parts 
subordinate. 

Subject  to  be  well  defined,  „     „     „ 

1  neme       ,,         ,,         ,,         ,,     ,,     ,, 
>>  jj  >>  >i  n      "      »» 

Theme  started  firmly  in  all  parts  and 
then  dim.  on  beats  3  and  4. 

All  parts/  except  1st  contralto,  which 
begins  original  theme  "  Hosanna  " 
very  firmly  and  forte.  Tenors  on 
fourth  beat  bring  out  same  theme, 
and  other  voices  follow.  Last  eight 
bars  to  be  sung  as  jubilantly  as 
possible. 


"  As  Vesta  was  from  Latmos  Hill."      Weelkes. 

"  As  Vesta  "  contains  10  themes : — 

First  theme  is  commenced  by  sopranos  in  bar  3,  beat  4. 

Second  theme  commences  in  bar  9,  "  She  spied." 

Third  theme  commences  in  bar  12  in  the  contraltos,  the 
ascending  scale-passage  being  the  chief  feature. 

Fourth  theme  commences  in  bar  22  at  "attended,"  by 
1st  sopranos. 

Fifth  theme  is  announced  by  1st  sopranos  at  end  of  bar 
32,  "  to  whom  Diana's  darlings." 

Important. — Sixth  theme  is  led  off  by  the  bass  on  fourth 
beat  of  bar  35,  "  came  running  down  amain." 

Seventh  theme  is  delicately  given  by  the  2nd  sopranos  and 
contraltos  in  bar  47,  "  first  two  by  two." 

Eighth  theme  is  announced  by  2nd  sopranos  on  beat  4, 
bar  60,  "  and  mingling  with." 

Ninth  theme   appears    in    2nd    sopranos,    beat  2,    bar  65. 

Tenth  and  most  important  theme  is  announced  vehemently 
by  the  2nd  tenors,  beat  2,  bar  81,  "Long  live  fair  Oriana." 
At  bar  85  the  basses  have  the  theme  in  quadruple  augmentation, 
which  on  account  of  the  length  of  the  notes  is  not  realised  by 
the  ear.     But  at  bar  104  the  augmented  subject  in  the  bass 


282  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


can  be  easily  followed,  and  if  the  other  parts  will  subordinate 
themselves  to  this  the  most  impressive  feature  of  the  madrigal, 
a  splendid  result  and  triumphant  finish  will  be  achieved. 


Bar. 
3 

L. 


4 
ii 


*3 

15 

18 
20 
22 

23 
27 
28 

32 
34 


35 
36 


Beat. 

4 

Voice. 
istS. 

2 

C. 

4 

c. 

4 

s. 

4 

1 

2nd  S. 
IstS. 
istS. 

All 
ist  T. 

All 

4 

ist  S. 

2 

2nd  S. 

4 

B. 

istT. 

This  subject  should  be  sung  in  all 
parts  as  follows  : — 

cres.        f p      

As      Ves  -  ta     was       de-scend    •   ing 

The    downward   quavers   should   be 

given  firmly. 
Pressure  on  "  the  same"  and  marked 

cres.   on   the   upward   scale.     The 

whole   phrase   is    to    be   sung  as 

follows :  — 


j| j  sum 


I  fJmV\  J 


the  same   as  -  cend       ....      ing 
Theme  to   be  given  firmly,  and  ist 

contraltos  should  join  them  for  bars 

14  and  15. 
Tenor     lead     "  the      same,"     with 

emphasis  on  the  scale -passage. 
Emphasis  on  scale -passage. 

II  II  If  II 

"at  M 

II  II  dl" 

"  at  " 
11  11         **■• 

More  emphasis  on  "  at." 

Very   emphatic   "  at,"    especially   in 

bass. 
"  To  whom  Diana  "  delicately  sung, 

other  parts  pp. 
Theme    brought    out,    but    not  too 

prominently.     All  parts  finish  pp 

end  of  bar  35,  to  allow  the  soft 

entry  of  the  basses  "  came  running  " 

to  be  distinctly  heard. 
Slight  emphasis  on  "came  running," 

then  marked  dim. 
Emphasis  on  "  came  run-"  then  dim. 


APPENDIX   I. 


283 


Bar. 

Beat. 

Voice. 

36 

2 

2nd  S. 

3 

istS. 

47 

4 

2nd  S. 
&C. 

60 

4 

2nd  S. 

62 

4 

istS. 

65 

2 

2nd  S. 

4 

1  st  S. 

74  to  79 

All 

81 

All 

2 

2nd  T. 

89 

All 

Emphasis  on  "came  run-"  then  dim. 

>>  >>  j>  >> 

This  pattern  to  be  followed  for  next 
10  bars,  with  constant  crescendo  to 
bar  47,  then  molto  dim. 

"  First  two  by  two,"  pp  slightly 
staccato ;  ditto  in  other  voices  to  bar 
52,  then  follow  markings  of  music. 

"  And  mingling  with  the  shepherds  " 
slightly  prominent,  other  parts  pp. 

Theme  "And  mingling"  rather 
prominent. 

"  With  mirthful  "  prominent. 

"  With  mirthful  tunes  "  prominent. 

Bold,  full,  sostenuto  chording. 

Dim. 

Bold  entry  at  "  Long  live."  From 
here  to  the  end,  bar  116,  emphasis 
must  always  be  given  to  "long live." 
("  Oriana  "  being  at  high  pitch  can 
take  care  of  itself.) 

Dim.  top,  then  gradual  eves,  to  bar  102, 
when  all  parts  make  a  decrescendo 
to  allow  the  emphatic  entry  of  the 
basses  at  bar  104  to  be  heard  most 
distinctly.  From  bar  104  to  no 
the  bass  must  dominate  the  music, 
and  the  last  six  bars  must  be  in 
jubilant  fortissimo  in  every  part. 


Fire,  Fire  ! 


M  or  ley. 


I 

All 

2 

2 

2ndS 

3 

All 

4 

istS 

3 

1 

istS 

3 

3 

2ndS 

C.T. 

B. 

Firm  sustained  forte.  Cancel  pressure 

mark  > 
Strike  firmly. 

ff  quick  molto  dim.  to  piano. 
affirm  attack. 

/A 

fp  on  minim. 


284  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


Bar. 

4 
5  and  6 

7 

8 

9  and  io 

1 1 
12  to  24 


24  to  27 
28  to  33 
28  to  33 


34 
35 


36  and  37 

37  and  38 
38  to  43 


43 
44 


Beat. 


2  to  4 

2  tO  4 

4 

I 


2  tO  4 
2  tO  4 


Voice. 


B. 

2ndS. 
2ndS. 

1st  S. 
All 


All 
2ndS. 
istS. 


C. 

istS. 


T. 
B. 

2ndS. 


T.  B. 

C. 
1st  S. 


Same  as  bar  3. 

Sing  as  marked  in  copy. 

Prominent  for  4  beats,  other  parts  p. 

11  11  11  11 

Syncopated  note  fp ;  pressure  to  be 

put  on  each  quaver. 
Sing  Efr  very  firmly. 
Sing    real   pianissimo,    but    preserve 

same  relative  variations  of  pressure 

on  notes. 
Sing  as  marked  in  copy. 
Real  pianissimo  in  2nd  sopranos. 
1  st  sopranos  as  follows : — 


P  =*■  PPP 


PPP 


Ah    . 


mf 


M-J-443-— I"  "J" 


sit 


and 


cry 


Four  notes  well  marked,  then  p. 

11  11  ii  11 

("  Then  call  for  help  "). 

v        y      y  fp. 
Prominent  -=  =— 
Four  notes  prominent. 
Leading  voice.     Sing  chiefly  against 
musical  accent,  as  follows : — 

f     P   fP         -==    sm-t 

and       call    for  help,    a -las! 

but         none  comes  nigh  .  .        me  t 

In  each  part  sing  the  first  note  of  the 
point  of  imitation  ff,  with  full 
broad   vowel  at   the   word  "  Fa " 


[- 


APPENDIX   I. 


285 


Bar. 

Beat. 

Voice. 

45  to  49 

3 

2ndS. 

50 

4 

1  st  S. 

51 

2 

C. 

51 

4 

2ndS. 

52 

2 

T. 

52 

4 

1st  S. 

53 

1 

B. 

53 

4 

T. 

54  to  56 

All 

57  to  end 

All 

(pronounce  "  Fah  "),  then  quickly 
shade  off  to  piano,  saying  all  the 
"la's"  very  lightly  at  the  tip  of 
the  tongue.  This  will  allow  the 
point  of  imitation  to  be  heard 
distinctly  in  each  part. 


All  these  "C's"  must  be  struck/" 
spasmodically  with  very  quick 
release  to  nip  (  =  ff,  nip  or  ffp). 


Dim.  to  p  in  all  parts. 

Repetition  of  above  instructions, 
only  last  phrase  must  be  sung  as  / 
as  possible  with  a  good  tone. 


"  In  the  Merry  Spring."     Ravenscroft. 

The  words  of  this  piece  must  be  sung  very  daintily.    Mind 
contrasts  of  piano  and  forte. 

Slight  swell  on  word  "  spring." 

Pressure  and  clear  word. 

Very  vigorous  /  entry  of  tenors,  who 
dominate  these  three  bars. 

Rather  slower.  Words  with  mock 
grief. 

Original  tempo. 

Chief  point  of  piece  is  in  these  two 
bars. 

In  each  voice  sing  the  first  quaver 
with  great  pressure/;  the  succeed- 
ing three  quavers  very  lightly,  with 
delicate  vowel  rather  staccato,  and 
the  minim  ffp. 

Very  emphatic  "  No,  no,  no,  no, 
not  I ! "  In  second  verse  sing  as 
first  verse,  but  repeat  third  and 
fourth  bars  from  end  bars  59  and  60. 


2 

8 

10  to  12 

1  and  2 

All 
S. 
T. 

16  to  19 

All 

20 
28  to  29 

All 
All 

30 

S.C. 

286  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


"  In  Going  to  My  Lonely  Bed."     Edwards. 

(See  pages  191- 193.) 

Give  swell  on  word  "  In,"  finishing/ 
at  word  "going." 


Bar. 
I  to  2 

Beat. 

Voice. 
All 

3 

T. 

6 

T. 

9  to  16 

All 

17 

23 

T. 

21  tO  24 

All 

25 

All 

3° 

B. 

p 


mj 


J       J       J       J     l    J         J 

lone      -      ly     bed,   As       one    that 

Each  voice  must  put  slight  pressure 

on  "as  one,"  then  dim.  to  piano. 

"  I  heard,"  put  pressure  on  each  word 
v      v 
and   shade  off  to  piano,   all   other 

voices  to  follow  suit. 
Smoothly  in  all  parts,  as  marked  in 

copy. 
Marked  pressure  on  "That  would," 

then    quickly  dim.  to  p.     All  the 

other  voices  give  marked  entry  and 

cres.  to  bar  21. 
Smooth    cantabile  pp  and  cres.      In 

repeat  open  ppp. 
Molto  cres.  to  tenor  entry  "  She  rocked  " 

ff.  Other  voices  follow  suit,  then  dim. 

Gentle  pressure  on  "  Then  did  she." 
Other  voices  follow  suit  but 
continual  cres.  to  the  tenor  entry. 
The  falling  out, 

gentries  by  other  voices  and  finish 
forte. 


"  The  Lady  Oriana."     Wilbye. 

This  madrigal  is  unusually  difficult  to  interpret  on  account  of 
the  close  imitations,  to  get  which  clearly  defined  requires  great 
vocal  control  and  agility;  but  if  the  following  directions  be 
carefully  marked  and  followed,  the  great  charms  of  this 
delightful  and  clever  madrigal  will  be  unfolded  to  the  listener. 
The  music  consists  of  contrasted  phrases  of  points  of 
imitation,  followed  by  plain  chordal  passages. 


APPENDIX   I. 


287 


Bar. 
I  and  2 

Beat. 

Voice. 

c. 

3 
4  and  5 

3 
2 

2ndT. 
istT. 

4.5.6 

4 

istS. 

6,7,8 
9  and  10 

1 

B. 

All 

11  and  12 

All 

13  to  15 

1 6  and  17 
18  to  22 

All 
All 
All 

22 

2 

T. 

23 

2 

istS. 

23 

4 

2nd  S. 

24  to  33 

All 

34  to  37 

2nd  S. 

38  and  39 

C. 

39 

3 

istS. 

38  to  40 

T.B. 

Contralto  theme  to   be    prominent, 

soprano  p,  tending  to  pp. 
Theme  prominent/. 
Piano,  semi -staccato. 


The  . 


Theme  /,  all  other  parts  p. 

Plain,  smooth  singing  as  marked  in 

copy. 
The  word  "  all "  in  every  part  to  be 

struck  /  and  then  rapid  dim.  to  p  at 

words  "  in  the." 
Plain  chording  as  in  copy. 
As  bars  11-12. 
Plain,  as  in  copy. 


,s 


p 


/     =-  p 


Other  voices  piano. 


H 


A      thou  -  sand ,  thou  -  sand 

Plain   chording  as   in    copy;    mind 

contrasts  in  p  and  /. 
Melody     prominent,     other     voices 

subordinate. 
Melody     for    six    notes    prominent, 

then  p. 
Take  up  theme  prominently  for  six 

notes.     The  high  2nd  soprano  must 

be  sung  pp. 
To   be    subordinate    to    the    ladies' 

voices. 


288  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


Bar. 

Beat. 

Voice. 

41  to  44 

All 

45 

All 

54  to  62 

All 

63  to  end 

All 

Let  each  voice  give  accent  on  the 
syllables  "  vir,"  "  ed,"  "  crown." 
The  1  st  and  and  sopranos  will 
have  some  difficulty  in  doing  this 
until  they  have  studied  it  carefully. 

Let  each  part  sing  the  first  two  notes 
loudly  to  the  syllables  "which," 
"  Ce,"  then  dim.  to  p  on  succeeding 
syllables  "  re,"  "  -mony  ended." 
By  doing  this  in  every  part  the 
imitations  will  be  made  clear. 

Plain  chording  to  be  sung  as  in  copy. 

Give  extra  accent  on  the  word  "  live," 
whenever  it  occurs  in  any  voice. 
Sing  the  quavers  (half  beats) 
forcibly.  Say  every  word  clearly. 
Take  ample  breath,  and  finish  as 
loudly  as  possible  ff  or  fff. 


Special  Note. 

You  will  notice  that  in  the  madrigals  the  same  instruction 
is  repeated  time  after  time,  so  that  if  you  learn  to  do  a  certain 
thing  once  (for  instance,  the  striking  of  a  note /and  the  sudden 
decrease  to  p)  you  should  be  able  to  apply  the  principle  to 
all  similar  phrases.  In  a  way,  it  is  a  trick,  but  to  do  it 
well,  you  must  practise  it  assiduously  until  you  can  do  it 
subconsciously.  Practise  each  example  separately.  You  will 
then  get  into  the  way  of  doing  it  spontaneously,  which  is  the 
end  in  view. 


"  Go,  Song  of  Mine."     Elgar. 

This  piece  — like  all  Sir  Edward  Elgar's  works — is  so 
carefully  marked  for  expression  that  it  will  only  be  necessary 
to  give  one  or  two  cautions  where  there  is  a  tendency  to  sing 
other  than  as  the  copy  directs. 

All  Make  a  real  pianissimo  for  all  three 
beats  at  the  words  "  and  in  tears," 
then  at  "  go  "  give  slight  pressure, 
but  not  overdone. 


APPENDIX   I. 


289 


Bar. 
7.8,9 

Beat. 

Voice. 

T. 

8 

S. 

7.8.9 

3 

A. 

II 

I 

S.A.B. 

II 
16  to  19 
33  to  35 

3 

T. 
All 
T. 

35  and  36 
37  to  45 

S. 
A.T.B. 

48  to  57 

S.A.T. 

60 

SAB. 

Tenor  melody  clear  and  distinct  with 
velvety  tone.  Shade  off  to  ppp  at 
"  heart  of  man." 

Soprano. — It  is  important  to  sing  ppp 
in  this  bar  to  avoid  obscuring  tenor 
theme. 


PPP 


-PPP 
then 


Slight    pressure    on     "  say 
immediately  dim.  to  pp. 

Tenor  marked  "  say,"  then  dim. 

As  bars  7,  8,  9. 

Bring  out  melody  in  imitation  of 
soprano. 

Lead  up  to  brilliant  B  natural. 

These  bars  I  always  compare  to 
being  "  bunkered,"  but  by  care 
and  skill,  distinction  can  be 
achieved  by  the  singers.  See  that 
the  rhythm  be  well  maintained, 
emphasizing  the  triplets.  Test 
yourselves  as  to  keeping  the  true 
pitch. 

Realise  the  true  meaning  of  pp 
dolcissimo.  The  low  basses  may 
sing  as  loudly  as  they  can. 

Make  slight  swell  on  "  go,"  finishing 
with  breath  to  silence. 


"  Awake,  Awake  !  "     Bantock. 

Brilliant  G,  staccato,  at  "  shout." 
Contraltos  prominent  this  bar. 
Basses  prominent  this  bar. 
Melody  prominent. 
Melody  prominent,  other  voices/*  to//. 
Commence  "  sunbeams  "  /,  then  dim. 

to  p  at  "  delight." 
Bring  out  melody  /  to  mf. 


2 

2 

S. 

4 

C. 

5 

B. 

9  to  10 

S. 

11  and  12 

T. 

12  and  13 

S. 

14  and  15 

T. 

2go  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


Bar. 

16,  17,  18 

20 
23  to  25 

27  to  33 
36  to  38 


Beat. 


40 
41 
43 
43 
47  and  48 

50  to  53 
60  to  65 


Voice. 

s.  c. 

T.  B. 

T.  B. 

All 
S.  T. 

S. 

T. 

S.C.T. 

S.C.T. 
B 
B 

All 


Give  emphasis  to  "  reeling  "  in  each 

voice  (point  of  imitation). 
Practise  this  with  special  reference 

to  expression  and  pitch. 
These  two   parts   are  important  for 

these  bars,  the  tenors  replying  to 

sopranos  as  follows : — 

fP 

Km 


fP     ?A     . 

Forte. 

Molto  dim.  to  p  or  pp. 
mf. 
B.       Marked /entry. 

Emphasis  on  "  my  bride,  my  play-," 

in  response  to  sopranos. 
"  The    Earth  holds  nought  to  match 
thy  love," 


All  parts  subordinate  to  very  soft 
bass.  Sopranos  must  take  great 
care  to  sing  last  note  (E  flat)  in 
tune— not  flat,  as  is  often  the  case. 


"There  Rolls  the  Deep."     Parry. 

The  elaborate  markings  of  this  piece  must  be  closely 
followed  to  get  a  beautifully  poetic  rendering.  Bars  20  and 
31  should  be  practised  assiduously  until  the  delicate  treatment 
of  the  sentiment  is  realised. 


APPENDIX  I. 


291 


"On  Himalay."     Bantock. 

This  piece  is  chiefly  antiphonal,  one  part  replying  to  another. 
This  is  especially  so  between  the  soprano  and  tenor  parts. 
The  quavers  in  such  voices  want  to  be  slightly  emphasised,  with 
clear  diction,  and  all  sustained  notes  sung  with  smooth  restraint. 
Follow  the  expression  marks,  but  bear  the  above  in  mind. 


Bar. 
30  and  31 


Beat. 


Voice. 

s. 


These  bars  should  be  practised  pp 
below  the  proper  pitch  until  per- 
fection of  attack  of  the  high  note 
is  attained,  then  take  it  at  the 
proper  pitch. 


"  The  Cruiskeen  Lawn."     Bantock. 

In  this  setting  the  melody  in  the  second  and  third  verses  is 
not  in  the  soprano  part,  but  is  divided  between  the  contralto 
and  the  tenor  parts,  while  in  the  chorus  it  alternates  between 
the  tenor  and  soprano  voices. 

In  the  third  verse  the  basses  and  tenors  have  the  tune 
alternately. 

The  problem  here  is  to  get  the  melody  well  denned,  without 
materially  altering  the  expression  as  given  in  the  copy,  and 
without  any  forcing  of  the  voices,  and  also  without 
sacrificing  the  fulness — as  distinct  from  forte — of  the  tone  of 
the  choir. 

This  can  be  achieved  by  strengthing  the  voice  part  which 
has  the  melody,  by  adding  to  it  some  of  the  voices  of  the  next 
part,  thus  rendering  the  opposing  force  weaker,  while  not  taking 
anything  away  from  the  fulness  and  richness  of  tone  of  the 
choir. 


The  following  shows  how  this  is  to  be  done  successfully : — 

/  dim. 
s  Gra  -  ma  -  chree. 

/  dim. 
s'  Gra  -  ma  -  chree. 

mf  dim. 
s  Gra  -  ma  -  chree. 

/  dim. 
s'  Gra  -  ma  -  chree. 


Bar. 
II 

12 


Beat. 

Voice. 

2 

B. 

3 

T. 

2 

B. 

3 

C. 

292  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


Bar. 
17  to  26 

Beat. 

Voice. 
2ndS. 

32  to  36 

4 

2nd  T. 

43  t0  46 

2ndT. 

2nd  sopranos  sing  with  contraltos 
to  bar  26,  then  sing  their  own  part 
forward. 

2nd  tenors  sing  with  basses  to 
third  beat  of  bar  36,  then  they  sing 
their  own  part  to  the  fourth  beat  of 
bar  40,  when  they  again  sing  with 
the  basses  till  bar  42. 

Sing  bass  part  to  the  first  beat  of  bar 
46,  then  sing  their  own  part  to  end 


"Moonlight."     Faning.     (See  page  152.) 

Tenors    prominent,  but    with    pure 

velvety  tone  ;  other  voices  pp. 
At  "is"  slight  pressure  and   rapid 

dim.  to  pp.   -^     >. 
Pressure  on  "  A-cross." 
Pressure  on  bass  alone ;  other  parts 

must    avoid    giving    pressure    by 

"  sympathy." 


i  to  5 

T. 

1 

2  and  3 

S.C. 

7 
12 

B. 
B. 

i5and  16 

S. 

15  and  16 

C.T.B. 

23 

25 

35  and  36 

T. 
T. 

All 

39 

4i 
42  and  43 

B. 
C. 

All 

47  and  48 
55  to  6° 

T. 

70  and  71 

All 

ppp 


VP 


real  />/> 


.jsJLi_j_  J3-| 

to    the  eyes,   (See  page  143.) 
p        crei. 

Tenors  prominent. 

Tenors  prominent. 

Clear  words  and  delicate  staccato  at 
the  triplets. 

Basses  prominent,  then  subordinate. 

Contraltos  prominent. 

Real  pianissimo  with  clear  delicate 
diction. 

Tenors  prominent,  then  subordinate. 

Contraltos'  moving  crotchets  promi- 
nent. 

Same  as  bars  15  and  16. 


APPENDIX  I. 


293 


Bar. 
72  and  73 

Beat. 

Voice. 
All 

74  to  end 

92 

All 

A  "comma"  breath  pause  after 
"sorrow,"  and  commence  "sad" 
PPP  with  ens.  on  "  eyes." 

Follow  copy  carefully,  but  at  bar  90 
the  1  st  bass  must  give  "in  the 
land  "  prominently,  but  in  tune. 

At  "sleep"  long  pause,  with  sound 
vanishing  into  silence. 


"  The  Angel's  Whisper."     Coward. 

This    piece    is    so    carefully  marked  that  few    additional 
instructions  will  be  necessary. 

9  to  15  All     These  bars  should  be  mastered  very 

well,  so  as  to  be  sung  with  dramatic 
power  :  especially  should  the 
tenors  and  basses  give  these  bars 
adequate  attention. 

30  to  35  C.T.B.  The  accompanying  voices,  contraltos, 

tenors,  and  basses,  should  study 
these  bars  till  they  can  be  sung 
fluently. 

76  to  81  C.T.B.  Here  again  complete  mastery  of  the 

accompanying  parts  is  necessary. 


A  Song  for  the  Seasons."    Smart. 


Sing  the  staccato  delicately. 
Tenors'  reply  to  sopranos  to  be  promi- 
nent. 

\fPJL  J 


9 
10  to  12 

S.  C. 
T. 

10 

1 

S. 

16 
17 

2  to  4 

All 
T. 

18 

B. 

18 

3 

S. 

gorse  -  flow'r 

Molto  cres. 

Moving  crotchets  figure  very  promi- 
nent. 

Moving  crotchets  figure  very  promi- 
nent. 
„>  -       AAA 


J-J. 


With 


a     pret  -  ty      haste. 


294  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


.Bar. 

Beat. 

Voice. 

22  to  25 

IStC. 

23  to  26 

T. 

30  and  1 
forward ) 

All 

40 

T. 

41  and  42 

C. 

43 

T. 

44 

3  and  4 

C. 

63 

3  and  4 

72 

3  and  4 

C. 

85 

T. 

87 

T.  B. 

93  to  97 

99  &  100 

1  st  contraltos  sing  with  2nd  sopranos 

from  bar  22  to  first  beat  of  bar  25. 
Put  pressure  on  every  note  to  reply 

in    imitation    to    theme    in     2nd 

sopranos. 
This  2nd  verse  will  be  taken  rather 

slower  than  1st  verse. 
Tenors  prominent. 
Contraltos  prominent. 
Tenors  prominent. 
Contraltos  prominent. 
Third  verse  allegro. 
Bold  entry  of  contraltos. 
Tenor   reply   to  soprano  lead  to  be 

prominent. 
Bold  entry  of  tenors  and  basses,  the 

words  "  my  love  "  very  clear. 
These  bars  are  a  repetition  of  bars 

22  to  26,  and  must  be  treated  in 

the  same  way. 
Make  very  bold  finish. 


"  The  Nights."     Challinor. 


This     effective     and     well-marked    piece     calls     for    few 
observations. 


Words  "  and  a  step,"  very  emphatic. 

2nd  tenors  sing  with  the  basses  to 
first  beat  of  bar  24,  then  take  their 
own  part. 

The  descriptive  element  must  be  very 
pronounced  in  these  bars,  therefore 
the  music  and  words  should  be 
thoroughly  mastered,  especially  the 
semiquaver  points  of  imitation. 

A  cold,  clear,  soft  tone  is  wanted  here. 

Tenors  and  basses  should  be  sure 
of  true  intonation  in  these  two 
bars. 

Get  verv  reposeful  ending. 


21 
22 

1  and  2 

T.  B. 

2nd  T. 

25  to  39 

All 

40  to  48 
47  and  49 

All 
T.  B. 

51  to  end 

APPENDIX   I. 


295 


"The  Shepherd's  Lament."     Smart. 


Give  prominence  to  the  words  "  The 
flocks  as  they  "  and  "  my  dog." 

These  are  critical  bars,  which  should 
be  practised  assiduously  till 
memorised. 

The  tenors  should  say  "  Yet  how  I 
can  scarcely  tell  with  clear, 
sympathetic  tone  and  faultless 
diction.  In  bars  17  and  18  great 
care  should  be  taken  to  sing  with 
clear  nasal  resonance,  or  flattening 
will  ensue,  the  GJJ  being  frequently 
below  pitch. 

In  bar  15  the  sopranos,  con- 
traltos, and  basses  nearly  always 
sing  too  loudly,  and  fail  to  say 
"yet  how"  with  the  crisp  delicacy 
required. 

Let  every  part  attend  to  the  intonation 
and  pitch. 

Contralto  words  to  be  very  clear. 

Basses  prominent,  with  very  clear 
words. 

See  remarks,  bars  14  to  19. 

Great  care  will  be  required  to  sing 
pianissimo  and  maintain  the  pitch. 

There  is  a  marked  tendency  to  sing 
Bt>  (s  1)  instead  of  B  b  (se  1) .  To  avoid 
this  take  your  note  mentally  from 
the  tenor  Btj  of  the  previous  bar. 

Slight  prominence  to  the  words  "  To 
some." 

Give  prominence  to  "  The  shepherd, 
O  sad."  Other  parts  short  notes 
and  pp. 

Tenors  prominent  to  reply  to 
contraltos. 

Sopranos  prominent ;  carry  point  of 
imitation  to  its  climax. 

Put  tears  into  the  word  "  sad." 

Shade  pp  into  silence. 


Bar. 
10  and  11 

Beat. 

Voice. 

B. 

14  to  19 

3 

All 

28 

C. 

29  to  31 

B. 

33  to  39 
43  to  45 

S.C.T. 

45 

2 

B. 

48 

2 

T. 

54 

C. 

55 

T. 

56 

S. 

59 
61 

All 
All 

296  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


Bar. 

I 

II 


29 
35 


4i 


50 
50 

52 


56 
57 


Notes  on  "  Elijah  "  Choruses. 

PART  I. 

No.  1.—"  Help,  Lord." 


In  addition  to  fortissimo,  show  anxiety 
in  voice. 

Crescendo  at  words  "summer  days  are 
gone,"  then  dim.  to  piano  on  word 
"gone," — follow  this  pattern  in  all 
voices.  In  every  case  get  words 
very  clear  on  "  and  yet  no  power." 

"  And  yet  no  "  emphatic. 

Letter  A.  Very  clear  words;  dark, 
breathy  tone,  ff  for  two  bars,  then 
ores. 

Theme  prominent  from  this  point. 
Let  the  words  "  Will  then  the 
Lord  "  be  prominent  in  each  voice. 

Emphasis  on  "  The  harvest  now." 

Emphasis  on  "  harvest  now  " ;  see  that 
bass  C  sharp  is  true. 

"  Harvest  now "  very  prominent. 
This  to  be  taken  up  by  altos, 
sopranos,  and  tenors  in  succession. 

Breath  after  "  yet." 

Breath  after  "  cometh." 


No.  2. — "  Lord,  bow  Thine  ear." 


Beat. 

Voice. 
All 

T. 

3 
3 

T. 

All 

2 

T. 

I 

3 

A. 
T. 

1 

B. 

All 
All 

Bring  out  contrasts  of  expression  as  shown  in  markings. 


1 

15 

21 
25 


Nc 

•  5— "Y 

3 

B. 

1 

S. 

T. 

2 

A. 

Yet  doth  the  Lord." 

Show  resentful  discontent  in  voices. 
Rather  staccato  entry  in  each  voice. 

"  His  curse  "  to  be  sung  with  a  great 
emphasis  on  the  "  c  "  and  "r." 

Tenor  entry  to  be  heard,  if  possible. 

Altos  set  pattern  of  saying  "  His 
wrath  "  fiercely  with  trilled  "  r." 
Give  dramatic  import  by  accen- 
tuating "  curse  "  and  "  wrath  "  all 
through. 


APPENDIX   I. 


297 


Letter  C. 
Letter  D. 


Metronome  60. 

Slight  accelerando.     Marked  entries  of 

all  voices  at  "  His  mercies."    Last 

four  bars  dim.  and  roll. 


No.  9.— "Blessed  are  the  men." 


Letter  A. 


Letter  B. 


Gentle  pressure  in  all  voices  on  word 
"  blessed,"  shading  to  pianissimo  at 
"  ed." 

"Thro'  darkness — "  marked  ores,  to 
word  "light"  should  be  brilliant; 
dim.  to  piano  at "  right."  "  Through  " 
to  be  clear  at  each  entry. 

"  He  is  gracious,"  the  words  very 
clear  here.  Six  bars  from  end, 
very  sweet  entry  of  tenors,  tending 
to  pianissimo  ;  ditto  contraltos,  with 
real  pianissitno  ending. 


No.  iO. — "Thou  art  Elijah." 

Letter  A.  Dramatic   utterance    of    "  Thou  " — 

forceful  and  sharp. 

Letter  B.  "And then — "breath after" then," eves. 

to  "  God  is  the  Lord."  7  bars  from 
end,  "  yea,"  get  awe  in  voice,  and 
breathy  tone  at  "  let  him  be  God." 


No.  11.  — "Baal  we  cry  to  Thee."     (See  page  100.) 

M.  60.    After  each  sforzando  make  decided  diminuendo. 

"Hear  us,  Baal." 


Bar. 
2 


Beat. 


Voice. 

All 


Crescendo  on  word  "  fall " ;  "  extirpate 

the  foe  " — very  savagely. 
16  bars  after  letter  C,   take  breath 

after   "us";   strike   "Baal"  very 

firmly,  then  dim.  to  piano.    "  Hear  " 

and  "  us  "  ditto. 


298  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

"  Hear  our  cry,  O  Baal." 
M.  about  100.     Beat  two  in  a  bar.     Presto  6-8. 


Bar. 


Beat. 


Baal,  hear  and  answer." 

Voice. 

Everything  in  this  section  marcato, 
typical  of  frenzied  earnestness. 
M.  about  1 20. 

S.  &  C.  Pause  bars — great  crescendos. 

T.  &  B.  Pause  bars—  great  sustained  crescendo 
on  "an-"  then  nwlto  dim.  to  pianissimo 
on  "-swer."  Long  rest  as  though 
waiting  for  Baal  to  answer,  then 
frenzied  cries  for  Baal. 


No.  16.-  "The  fire  descends." 

In  each  part  very  clear  words  and 
notes  at  "  the  flames  consume  his 
offering."    "  Upon  your  faces  fall," 
dark,  breathy  tone,  pp. 
Letter  B.  "The  Lord  is  God  "  pianissimo;  keep 

same  dark  tone,  then  crescendo. 
"  Take  all  the  prophets."  Mind  all 
consonants  here,  and  get  graphic 
tone-colour,  especially  at  "  slay 
them"— let  it  be  killing  tone. 

No.  19. — "Open  the  heavens."     (See  pages  126,  127.) 

Commence  />/>,  decided  c res.  to  "  relief  " 
on  the  minim  molto  dim.  to  pp. 
"  Help,  help  Thy  servant "  to  be 
sung  by  1st  sopranos  only,  to 
secure  very  subdued  effect.  Same 
directions  for  "Then  hear  from 
heaven  " ;  let  2nd  sopranos  alone 
sing  "  Help  send,"  &c. 

No.  20.— "Thanks  be  to  God." 


B. 


Open    in    grand, 
M.  about  90. 


impressive    style. 


APPENDIX   I. 


299 


Letter  A. 


Letter  D. 
Letter  E. 


Accel,  to  M.  130.  At  four  bars  before 
letter  C  broaden  out  considerably 
to  about  M.  72.  Five  bars  after  C, 
"  Thanks  be  to  God  "  tempo  for  9 
bars,  then  M.  72  at "  But  the  Lord." 

Tempo  and  accel.  to  M.  144. 

M  160.  Last  10  bars  "Thanks  be  to 
God  "  fff  majestic.     M.  70. 


PART  II. 

No.  22. — "  Be  not  afraid." 

Piii,   animato.      Get    words   "though 
thousands  languish  "  very  clear. 
Bar  15.  Tenor  entry  to  be  made  distinct. 

Letter  B.  Nine   bars  after,  great  emphasis  on 

"Though  thousands  "  in  each  voice 
in  succession. 
Last    10  bars  broad  and  sustained. 
M.  72. 


No.  23. 
Let  choir  sing  like  an  excited  mob,  especially  at  the  end. 

No.  24. — "  Woe  to  him." 

Very  marked  rhythm  in  all  voices  at 

"  Woe  to  him  " — give  full  attention 

to  5/. 
The  tenor  phrase  "  and  why  hath  he  " 

very  emphatic. 
The  alto  crotchets  ft. 
Let  sopranos  be  the  climax  of  this 

section. 
At  the  words  "let  the  guilty  prophet," 

get  very  marked  rhythm  and  hard, 

sinister  tone-quality. 
Last  3  bars,  "  so  go  ye  forth,  seize  on 

him,"     very    clear    diction,     with 

killing  tone. 


Bar  13. 

Bar  16. 

Bar  17. 

Letter  A. 


300  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


No.  29. — "  He  watching  over  Israel." 

To  be  very  calmly  and  sweetly  sung. 

Bass  entry  with  a  little  emphasis. 

"  Should'st  thou  walking  in  grief." 
Whenever  this  phrase  occurs,  begin 
softly  and  carry  the  cres.  forward  to 
"  languish."  Sing  the  crotchet 
loudly  with  marked  dim.  on  the 
succeeding  minim. 

Four  bars  before.  Here  the  two 
subjects  are  given  in  opposition  to 
each  other.  In  every  voice  slight 
emphasis  on  "  watching,"  and  sing 
the  word  slightly  staccato. 

Last  six  bars  of  vocal  part — carefully 
follow  markings,  and  finish  real  pp. 


Bar  11. 
Letter  A. 


Letter  B 


No.  32. — "  He  that  shall  endure."     (See  pages  159-162.) 


Bar  5. 

Bar  11. 

Bar  14. 
Bar  20. 

Bar  24. 
Bar  25. 


The  tenors  sing  w/with  emphasis  on 

first  3  beats;    the  sopranos,  altos 

and  basses  meanwhile  sing  pp  for 

3  beats,  then  eves,  to  /. 
Altos   very   emphatic  at  "  He   that 

shall." 
Basses  ditto. 
Emphasis  on  the  two  minims,  next 

crotchets  in  bass  "  He  that  shall." 
Bass  emphatic   on   "  He   that  shall 

endure";  sopranos,  altos, and  tenors 

PP  in  same  bar. 
Slight  emphasis  on   "  He   that  "   in 

tenors  and  contraltos  ;  and  in  next 

bar  "  He  that  "  in  sopranos. 
Last   3  bars  very  soft  indeed,   like 

angelic  voices. 


No.  34. — "  Behold,  God  the  Lord." 

Bars  12  and  13.  Give  prominence  to  the  word  "  rent " 

in  all  voices,  and  in  succeeding  bars 
great  emphasis  at  "  break,"  trilling 
the  "  r." 


APPENDIX   I. 


301 


Letter  B  (bars  17,  18, 

after). 
Letter  B  (bars  23,  24, 

after). 

Letter  C. 


Letter  D. 
Letter  F. 


Give  prominence  to  words  "earth" 
and    in    succeeding    bars    "  sea." 

Let  the  word  "  sea,"  and  later 
the  word  "earth,"  be  heard  in 
succession  in  all  parts. 

A  little  slower  for  5  bars  and  pp. 
"And  after  the  earthquake — "  sing 
with  great  excitement  and  clear 
enunciation  of  the  word  "  fire." 

Get  words  very  clear  at  "  But  yet  the 
Lord." 

10  bars  before,  altos  rather  prominent ; 
2  bars  later,  altos  sing  "onward 
came"  with  emphasis  shading  to 
pp.  Then  tenors  sing  "  onward 
came  "  with  emphasis  shading  to 
Pp.  Four  bars  later,  altos  give 
emphasis  on  "  onward,"  followed 
again  by  tenors  singing  "  onward  " 
prominently;  sopranos  and  basses 
meanwhile  sing  pp.  The  end  of 
chorus  to  be  very  softly  sung. 


No.  35.— "Holy,  holy." 
Very  clear  words  in  the  soft  passage. 

No.  36. —"Go,  RETURN. 

Take  breath  after  "  go." 
Bar  2.  Give  emphasis  on  "  For." 

Bar  6.  Molto  cres.  to  lead  up  to  entry  of  ladies' 

voices. 


No.  38.—"  Then  did  Elijah." 

To  be  sung  in  a  declamatory  manner. 
Letter  B.  "And  when  the  Lord"  very  clear  and 

incisive,  finishing  fortissimo.  At 
the  words  "  Lo  !  there  came  a  fiery 
chariot,"  commence  with  dark, 
breathy  tone.  In  "  He  went  with 
a  whirlwind  to  heaven,"  be  sure  to 
get  notes  correct  and  sing  with 
great  fervour^. 


,4  M 


35-0  St 


3Q2  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


Bar    6. 
Bar  15. 


Letter  C. 


No.  41. — "  But  the  Lord." 

Molto  cres. 

Bass  entry  emphatic,  or  it  will  not  be 
heard.  At  words  "  The  spirit  of 
wisdom  and  understanding,"  very 
clear  diction. 

Slight  pause  before  the  words  "  and 
the  fear  of  the  Lord";  these  words 
to  be  sung  slowly.     M.  72. 


Bar    9. 
Bar  10. 


Bar  14. 


No.  42. — "Then  shall  your  Light." 

Bold  entry. 

Tenor  entry,  real  /. 


14  bars  from  the  end. 


Soprano  entry,  real/.  Bass  entry  mf. 
These  three  parts  keep  down  while 
altos  enter /at  bar  12  (see  page  156). 

All  voices  cres.  to  end  of  that  section. 
At  words  "  Lord  our  Creator  "  let 
every  voice  give  emphasis  to  those 
words,  marking  rhythm  well. 

The  sopranos  sing  with  molto  cres.  to 
first  minim  of  next  bar,  then  dim., 
as  shown  below  : — 

A  -  -  men. 
The  contraltos  and  tenors  follow  this 
pattern  in  succeeding  bar.  At  each 
succeeding  recurrence  the  sopranos, 
contraltos  and  tenors  make  this 
swell  more  marked,  and  at  the 
fourth  bar  from  the  end  the  basses 
emphasise  this  feature  as  much  as 
they  possibly  can,  and  thus  make 
the  oratorio  finish  with  a  blaze  of 
glory. 


3^3 


APPENDIX   II. 

Circular  to  Members  of  the  World 
Tour  Choir. 

[Note. — The  following  appears  after  instructions  as  to  time  of 
sailing,  luggage,  and  list  of  madrigals,  glees,  part-songs  and  choruses 
to  be  sung  on  the  tour.] 

The  foregoing  (160  pieces)  is  a  long  and  exacting  list  of 
music  to  memorise,  but  as  so  much  of  it  is  already  known, 
your  daily  practice  and  enthusiasm  for  the  scheme  will  enable 
you  to  surmount  all  difficulties. 

Method  is  the  Secret  of  Success. 

To  achieve  the  goal  of  our  endeavours — perfection  of  per- 
formance of  each  of  the  above  pieces — we  must  take  the  motto : 

"  Method  is  the  Secret  of  Success," 

as  a  good  working  axiom. 

In  this  relation  there  are  several  instructions  to  be  followed, 
which  for  a  less  important  event  might  be  considered 
unnecessary. 

i. —  It  is  advisable  to  underline  in  red  ink  the  particular  part 
you  will  have  to  sing. 

2. — Please  number  in  red  ink,  neatly  and  clearly,  every  bar 
or  every  third  bar  of  every  piece,  as  I  shall  issue  instructions, 
later,  stating  how  every  bar  of  every  piece  is  to  be  marked  and 
sung.  This  will  save  immense  time  in  rehearsal  and  lead  to 
unity  in  performance.* 

3. — Make  special  efforts  to  memorise  the  words.  The  most 
neglected  part  of  a  piece  is  the  words.  The  part  I  lay  most 
stress  upon  being  perfect  is — the  words.  To  assist  you  in 
getting    these    perfect     in     articulation,    pronunciation,     and 

*  See  pages  279-302. 


304  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

characteristic  diction,  I  have  had  the  words  of  every  piece 
printed  in  this  booklet,  so  that  being  available  in  handy  form 
they  can  be  looked  over  at  odd  moments  in  arm-chair,  motor, 
train,  or  tram. 

4. — Practise  reading  aloud  at  least  two  pages  of  the  part- 
song  words  daily.  One  page  should  be  read  wj/and  the  next 
page  pp  with  smart  lip  and  tongue  action. 


A  Plea  for  Constant  Recapitulation. 

To  memorise  words  of  music,  frequent  repetition  is  necessary. 
Instrumentalists  who  astonish  us  by  their  memory  playing, 
learn  their  pieces  by  the  frequent  repetition  necessary  to 
overcome  the  technical  difficulties.  Let  us  take  similar  care, 
and  we  shall  have  no  difficulty  in  memorising  all  the  programme. 


Hints  on  Private  Practice. 

1. — Practise  each  piece  as  though  you  had  never  seen  it 
before.  Even  in  pieces  like  the  Messiah  and  Elijah, 
s  ng  every  bar  with  care  until  it  is  absolutely  correct.  By  this 
means  incorrect  phrasings,  semitones  sung  for  full  tones  in 
the  Messiah,  runs  and  divisions,  wrong  chromatics,  and 
many  hoary  errors  and  stereotyped  mistakes  will  be  banished 
from  our  performances. 

2. —  I  would  urge  each  singer  to  study  the  pieces  seriatim. 
We  are  all  inclined  to  give  more  attention  to  pieces  we  like 
than  to  those  we  rather  dislike  ;  but  as  uniform  excellence  is 
demanded,  please  take  the  pieces  in  rotation. 

3. — Practise  the  most  difficult  phrases  of  each  piece  much 
more  than  the  easier  portions.  Put  a  circle  round  each  difficult 
part  and  "grind"  at  it  till  it  is  mastered.  This  is  important, 
because  a  choir  gets  its  character  from  the  way  it  surmounts 
difficulties.  If  a  choir  sings  99  per  cent,  of  a  piece  well,  and 
stumbles  over  the  1  per  cent.,  however  difficult  the  piece  may 
be  it  suffers  in  prestige.  Therefore  take  care  of  the  difficult 
phrases;  the  easy  parts  can  take  care  of  themselves. 

4. — Practise  five  minutes  each  day  some  difficult  or  pp 
phrases  with  special  reference  to  maintaining  the  pitch. 
Nothing  "  gives  a  choir  away  "  more  than  flattening.  There- 
fore the  determination  and  habit  of  mind  to  keep  the  pitch 
should   be  cultivated.      As   far  as  possible    I    have  avoided 


APPENDIX   II.  305 

accepting  any  singer  who  either  sang  flat  or  showed  a  tendency 
to  lose  the  pitch  (flatten).  I  trust  that  you,  by  giving  attention 
to  this  important  point,  will  prove  that  my  selection  of 
yourself  has  in  this  respect  been  justified. 

Rehearsals  and  Registrations. 

FULL,  SECTIONAL,  AND  PRIVATE. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  every  available  rehearsal  should 
be  attended,  due  notice  of  which  will  be  given. 

As  we  shall  give  over  100  concerts  (fancy  over  100  times  of 
thrill  and  delight),  to  ask  you  to  average  one  rehearsal  per 
concert  will  not  be  an  extravagant  demand.  Please  see  that 
this  be  done  either  in  Full  or  Sectional  rehearsals.  These 
latter  will  be  arranged  for  privately,  and  called  by  the  Local 
Convener. 

That  every  member  may  receive  full  credit  for  all  good 
work  done,  you  will  find  at  the  end  of  this  booklet  a  Diary  in 
which  you  are  requested  to  note  day  by  day  the  full  time  you 
have  devoted  to  the  private  study  of  the  music  or  words  of  the 
works,  as  well  as  in  Rehearsals  (full  and  sectional).  At  each 
Full  Rehearsal  I  hope  to  have  the  pleasure  of  noting  your 
daily  entries. 

Necessity  of  a  High  Ideal. 

Some  of  the  above  requirements  may  seem  too  exacting,  but 
we  have  to  remember  that  we  have  the  choral  honour  and 
dignity  of  the  Motherland  in  our  keeping.  We  must  therefore 
have  an  exalted  ideal,  and  must  work  with  enthusiasm  to 
attain  it. 

In  addition  to  the  above  considerations,  there  are  two  very 
important  reasons  why  I  most  strongly  urge — nay,  almost 
command — persistent  work  from  the  present  moment  to  the 
24th  of  March. 

The  first  of  these  is :  "The  voice  preservation  aspect,"  which 
calls  for  our  most  serious  thought. 

By  having  both  the  words  and  music  thoroughly  mastered, 
you  will  be  able  to  place  your  voice  properly  for  each  word  and 
sound,  and  thus  avoid  vocal  strain.  This  will  enable  you  to  keep 
your  voice  in  form  all  through  the  Tour,  as  in  Canada.  Those 
who  lack  this  power  must  expect  voice  failure.* 

*  See  page  47. 


306  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

The  second  reason  is :  "The  pleasure  preservation  aspect."  I 
am  anxious  that  nothing  preventable  shall  interfere  with  our 
pleasure  and  freedom  from  anxiety  while  on  the  Tour ;  but 
the  sense  of  inefficient  preparation  of  any  piece  would  be  such 
an  incubus  to  the  whole  party,  that  I  appeal  to  all  to  accept 
cheerfully  the  drudgery  of  persistent  practice  to  secure 
prospective  pleasure,  or  in  other  words 

"  Take  present  pain 
For  future  gain." 
However,  I  have  such  confidence  in  the  choir  as  a  whole, 
that  I  feel  I  am  voicing  your  sentiments  when  I  say  that  if 
there  be  any  individual  member  who  does  not  regard  the  unique 
character  of  the  Tour  as  calling  for  exceptional  and  determined 
efforts  to  achieve  perfection,  it  is  advisable  for  that  member  to 
resign  at  once,  as  none  of  us  want  any  cold,  half-hearted  singers 
in  our  ranks. 

With  warmest  greetings  to  all  my  colleagues  in  the 
enterprise, 

Believe  me, 

Yours  very  truly, 

H.  Coward. 


S.M.U.  World  Tour. 

Sheffield, 
Dear  Sir  or  Madam,  February,  191 1. 

Within  a  few  weeks  we  embark  at  Liverpool  upon  our 
unique  Tour  Round  the  World.  This  fact  suggests  the 
importance  of  reviewing,  revising  and  perfecting  our 
preparedness  for  the  great  musical  task  before  us.  Especially 
would  I  urge  upon  each  of  you  the  importance  of  being 
note-perfect  in  the  difficult  phrases.  Treat  each  passage  as  a 
solo  instrumentalist  does — sing  it  over  until  you  have  learned 
it  subconsciously. 

Singing  from  Subconscious  Impulse. —  In  reviewing 
our  combined  rehearsals,  I  have  been  profoundly  impressed  by 
the  amount  of  work  we  have  got  through,  and  by  the  thorough- 
ness shown ;  but  although  it  has  collectively  been  wonderful 
that  so  much  work  should  be  so  well  done,  if  we  had  critically 
taken  each  chorus  or  piece  separately,  we  should  have  found 
that  the  supreme  finish  which  ought  to  be  present  in  each  item 


APPENDIX   II.  307 

was  absent.  Now,  as  each  audience  will  judge  us,  not  upon 
the  general  average  of  160  pieces,  but  upon  the  results  shown 
in  a  few  items  at  each  concert,  it  becomes  imperative  that  we 
perform  each  piece  perfectly.  Therefore  we  must  avoid 
thinking  that  we  may  sing  some  pieces  poorly  because  we  shall 
sing  other  favourite  pieces  excellently,  but  bring  every  piece  up 
to  the  standard  of  perfection. 

We  must  act  on  the  principle  of  taking  care  of  the 
pence,  and  the  pounds  will  take  care  of  themselves.  To  do 
this,  may  I  suggest  that  each  piece  be  mastered  subconsciously 
as  most  of  us  know  the  Messiah  choruses,  so  that  we  may 
sing  by  the  impulse  from  within.  It  is  an  achievement  to  be  able 
to  follow  the  conductor's  directions,  but  it  is  a  greater  thing  to 
know  and  feel  what  the  conductor  wants,  so  as  to  do  it 
automatically,  guided  by  the  impulse  from  within.  Soloists  get 
little  assistance  from  conductors,  because  they  have  to  depend 
upon  themselves.  Now,  as  we  shall  have  to  sing  occasionally 
with  strange  conductors,  I  want  you  to  realise  the  importance 
of  doing  everything  with  reflex  action  of  the  mind,  therefore 
please  raise  your  standard  of  learning  each  piece  until  you  can 
sing  it  with  proper  expression  by  the  impulse  from  within, 
irrespective  of  the  conductor.  If  he  should  give  you  the  proper 
"  leads  "  all  the  better,  but  learn  the  pieces  so  well  that  yon 
can  be  independent  of  direction. 

Marking  of  Expression.— Owing  to  the  absence  of 
some  members  at  each  rehearsal,  my  instructions  with  respect 
to  the  marks  of  expression  have  not  been  entered  by  all  the 
choir.  I  have  therefore  been  at  the  trouble  of  detailing  the 
principal  points  which  I  want  to  be  carried  out  in  some  of  the 
more  intricate  or  delicate  phrases  of  the  various  numbers.* 
Each  singer  must  enter  these  instructions  relating  to  his  or 
her  part  before  next  Saturday,  as  these  five  pieces  will  be 
rehearsed  then.  Please  regard  all  the  time  taken  up  as  so 
much  rehearsal,  and  enter  it  in  the  Diary.f 


*  See  pages  279-295.  f  See  page  305. 


3o8 


APPENDIX   III. 


SINGING    WITH    LATIN    WORDS. 

There  are  a  few  classics  which  it  is  advisable,  if  not 
imperative,  to  sing  in  Latin.  To  secure  uniformity 
of  pronunciation  the  scheme  shown  in  the  following 
instructions  has  been  used  with  gratifying  results. 

The  chief  difficulty  is  to  get  English  choralists  to  sing  Latin 
with  the  broad  Italianized  vowels.  It  is  rather  difficult  to  give 
the  exact  vowel  quantity  of  some  of  the  words  containing  "  e," 
"i,"  and  "o,"  but  the  subjoined  phonetic  spellings  give  an 
approximately  correct  scheme  for  practical  purposes. 

In  a  few  words  the  vowels  are  given  a  broader  sound  than 
strict  correctness  demands.  But  experience  has  shown  that 
this  broad  vowel  scheme  is  advisable  because,  as  English  choral 
singers  have  a  natural  tendency  to  favour  the  lighter  vowel 
quantity,  they  therefore,  in  the  few  cases  required,  easily  learn 
to  modify  the  broad  sounds  to  the  conductor's  pattern,  which 
should  be  given  in  every  case. 

Model  followed  by  the  Sheffield   Musical   Union,  Leeds 

Choral   Union,  Huddersfield  Festival  Choral  Society, 

and  Newcastle  Choral  Society. 

Beethoven's  Mass. 
Kyrie. 
Kyrie  eleison,  Christe  eleison. 

Keereeay  aylay-ee-'zohn  Kree-stay  ay-lay-te-zohx. 

Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  Christ,  have  mercy  upon  us. 

•When  "s"  occurs  between  two  vowels  it  is  usually  sounded  more 
like  the  English  "  z  " 


APPENDIX   III. 


309 


Gloria. 

Gloria  in  excelsis  Deo, 

Glaw-ree-ah        een  ex-chel-seece     Day-oh, 
Glory  be  to  God  on  high, 


hominibus  bonae 

hoh-mee-nee-booce  boh-nay 
good  will  towards  men. 

benedicimus  te, 

bay-nay-dee-chee-mooce  tay, 
we  bless  Thee, 

glorificamus  te, 

glaw-ree-fce-kah-moocc  tay, 
we  glorify  Thee, 


voluntatis. 
vol-oon-tah-tecce. 


et  in  terra  pax, 
ait  een  ter-rah  pahx, 
and  in  earth  peace, 

Laudamus  te, 
Lah-oo-dah-mooce  tay, 
We  praise  Thee, 


adoramus  te, 

ah-doh-rah-mooce  tay, 
we  worship  Thee, 

Gratias  agimus  tibi 

Grah-tsee-ahce      ah-jee-mooce   tee-be 
we  give  thanks  to  Thee 


propter      magnam      gloriam         tuam,      Domine         Deus, 
prohp-tair  mahn-yahm  glaw-ree-ahm  too-ahm,  Do-mee-nay    Day-ooce 
for  Thy  great  glory,  O  Lord  God, 


Rex  coelestis, 
raix  chay-layee-teece, 
heavenly  King, 


Deus      Pater  omnipotens. 

Day-ooce  pah-tair  (ox  ter)  ohm-nee-poh-taince. 
God  the  Father  Almighty. 


Domine  Fili         unigenite,  Jesu  Christe, 

Do-mee-nay        Fee-lee     00 -nee -j en  -e -tay,  Yay-zoo       Kree-stay, 

O  Lord,  the  only-begotten  Son  Jesu  Christ; 

Domine  Deus,        Agnus        Dei,       Filius  Patris, 

Do-mee-nay      Day-ooce,  Ahn-yooce  Day-ee,  Fee-lee-ooce  Pah-treece, 
O  Lord  God,  Lamb  of  God,        Son  of  the  Father, 

Qui  tollis         peccata  mundi,         miserere  nobis, 

Kwee  tohl-leece  pek-kah-tah       moon-dee,      mee-zay-ray-ray  noh-beece, 
That  takest  away  the  sins  of  the  world,  have  mercy  upon  us, 


deprecationem 

day -pray -kah  -tsee-oh-naim 


nostram ; 
noh-strahm ; 


suscipe 
soo-shee-pay 
receive  our  prayer ; 

Qui    sedes      ad  dexteram        Patris,       miserere  nobis. 

Kwee  say-dace  ahd  daix-tay-rahm  Pah-treece,  mee-zay-ray-ray  noh-beece 
Thou  that  sittest  at  the  right  hand  of  God  the  Father, 

[have  mercy  upon  us. 


3io  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


Quoniam        tu   solus 
Kwo-ne-ahm   too  soh-looce 
For  Thou  only  art  holy, 


sanctus,        Tu  solus        Dominus, 
sahngk-tooce,  Too  soh-looce  Do-mee-nooce, 
Thou  only  art  the  Lord ; 


Tu        solus  altissimus,  Jesu  Christe, 

Too       soh-looce         ahl-teece-see-mooce,        Y  ay -zoo        Kree-stay, 
Thou  only  art  most  high,  Jesus  Christ, 


cum     Sancto        spiritu 
koovi    Sahngk-toh  sJ>ee-ree-too 
with  the  Holy  Ghost 

Amen. 
Ah-main. 


in      gloria  Dei      Patris. 

een    glaw-ree-ah   Day-ee  Pah-treece. 
in  the  glory  of  God  the  Father. 


Credo. 


Credo         in     unum 
Kray-doh    een    oon-oom 
I  believe  in  one  God, 


Deum,    Patrem      omnipotentem, 
Day-oom  Pah-traim  om-nee-poh-tain-taim, 
the  Father  Almighty, 

factorem  coeli      et    terrae,     visibilium  omnium 

fahk-toh-raitn    chay-lce  ait   tair-ray,  vee-zee-bee-lee-oom   om-nee-oom 
Maker  of  heaven  and  earth,  And  of  all  things  visible 

et      invisibilium.  Credo  in     unum       Dominum 

ait     een-vee-zee-bee-lee-oom.    Kray-doh     een    oo-noom     Do-mee-noom 
and  invisible.  I  believe  in  one  Lord 


Tesum  Christum, 
Yay-zoom  Kree-stoom, 
Jesus        Christ, 


Filium  Dei  unigenitum, 

Fee-lec-oom      Day-ce      oo-nee-jen-e-toom, 
the  only-begotten  Son  of  God, 


et      ex      Patre          natum 
ait     aix      Pah-tray     nah-toom 
Begotten  of  His  Father 


ante         omnia 
ahn-tay     om-nce-ah 
before  all  worlds, 


Deum  de  Deo ; 

Day-oom  day  Day -oh ; 

God  of  God, 

Deum         verum         de 
Day-oom     vay-room       day 
Very  God  of  Very  God, 


lumen  de 

loo-main         day 
Light  of  Light, 

Deo  vero ; 

Day-oh  vay-roh ; 


non  factum ; 

nohn        fahk-toom ; 
not  made, 


consubstantialem 
kohn-soob-stahn-tsce-ah-laim 
Being  of  one  substance  with 


saecula : 

say-koo-lah : 

lumine ; 
loo-mee-nay ; 

genitum 

jen-e-toom 

Begotten, 

Patri, 

Pah -tree, 
the  Father; 


APPENDIX   III. 


3" 


per  quem 

pair  kwaim 

By  whom 

Qui  propter  nos 

Kwee  prohp-tair  noce 

Who  for  us  men, 

et  propter  nostram 

ait  prohp-tair  noh-strahm 

and  for  our  salvation, 

descendit  de 

day-shain-dit  day 

came  down  from  heaven, 

Et  incarnatus  est 

Ait         een-kar-nah-tooce    aist 
And  was  incarnate 


omnia  facta  sunt. 

om-nee-ah  fahk-tah  soont. 

all  things  were  made  : 


homines, 
hoh-mee-nace, 

salutem, 
sah-loo-taim, 

coelis, 
chay-leece  (or  lis), 


de        Spiritu  Sancto, 

day     Spee-ree-too    Sahngk-toh, 
by  the  Holy  Ghost 


ex       Maria  Virgine,  Et      homo  factus         est, 

aix      Mah-ree-ah      Veer-jee-nay,    Ait     hoh-moh     fahk-tooce     aist, 
of  the  Virgin  Mary,  And  was  made  man, 

Crucifixus  etiam         pro  nobis,     sub  Pontio       Pilato ; 

Kroo-chee-feex-ooceait-ee-ahmpronoh-beece,soobPont-see-ohPee-lah-toh; 
Was  crucified  also  for  us  under  Pontius  Pilate ; 


passus 

et 

sepultus 

est, 

pahce-sooce 

ait 

say -pool -tooce 

aist, 

He  suffered 

and 

was  buried, 

Et    resurrexit         tertia  die      secundum     Scripturas, 

A  it  ray-zoor-raix-ut  tair-tsee-ah  dee-ay  say -hoon-doom  Screep-too-rahce, 

And  rose  again        the  third  day       according  to  the  Scriptures, 

Et  ascendit        in  coelum,    sedet     ad   dexteram         Patris ; 
Ait  ah-shen-deet  een  chay-loom,  say-dait  ahd  daix-tay-rahm  Pah-treece  ; 
And  ascended  into  heaven,   And  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  the 

[Father, 
et         iterum  venturus  est  cum       gloria, 

ait       ee-tay-room        vain-too-rooce        aist         koom     glaw-ree-ah, 
And  He  shall  come  again  with  glory 

Judicare  vivos  et  mortuos ; 

Yoo-dee-kah-ray  vee-voce  ait  mohr-too-ohce ; 

to  judge  both  the  quick  and  the  dead : 


312  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


cujus  regm 

koo-yooce  rain-yee 

Whose  kingdom 


non  erit 

nohn  ay-rect 

shall  have  no  end. 


Credo 
Kray-doh 
I  believe 

Dominum 
Do-mee-noom 
the  Lord 


in  Spiritum 

een  Spee-ree-toom 

in  the  Holy  Ghost, 


finis. 
fee-neece. 

Sanctum, 
Sahngk-toom, 


qui 
kwee 


ex 

aix 


et 

ait 

and 

Patre 
Pah-tray 


vivificantem, 
vee-vee-fee-kahn-taim, 
Giver  of  life, 


Filioque 
Fee-lee-oh-kway 


Who  proceedeth  from  the  Father  and  the  Son, 


qui  cum  Patre 

kwee  koom  Pah -tray 

Who  with  the  Father 

simul  adoratur  et 

see-mool  ah-doh-rah-toor  ait 

together  is  worshipped 

qui  locutus 

kwee  loh-koo-tooce 

Who  spake 


et 

ait 


procedit ; 
proh-chay-dit ; 

Filio 
Fee -lee -oh 


and  glorified, 

est  per 

aist  pair 

by  the  Prophets. 


and  the  Son 

conglorificatur ; 
kohn-gloh-ree-fee-cah-toor  ; 


in 
een 


Credo 
Kray-doh 
I  believe  in 

et 
ait 
and 

Confiteor 
Kohn-fee-tay-ohr 
I  acknowledge 

in 
een 
for  the 


unam  sanctam 

oo-nahm         sahngk-tahm 
one  holy 


prophetas. 
proh-fay-tahce. 

Catholicam 

Kah-toh-lee-kahm 

Catholic 


Apostolicam 
Ah-poh-stoh  -lee-hahm 
Apostolic 

unum 

oo-noom 

one 

remissionem 
ray-meece-see-oh  -naim 
remission 


Ecclesiam. 

Aik-klay-zee-ahm. 

Church. 

Baptisma 

Bahp-teece-mah 

Baptism 

peccatorum. 
pek-kah-tohroom. 
of  sins. 


Et        expecto 
Ait       aix-paik-toh 
And  I  look  for 


Resurrectionem  mortuorum, 

Ray-zoor-raik-tseeohnaim     mor-too-or-oom, 
the  Resurrection  of  the  dead, 


APPENDIX   III. 


313 


et  vitam  venturi  saeculi.  Amen. 

ait  vee-tahm  vain-too-ree  say-koo-lce.  Ah-main. 

and  the  life  of  the  world  to  come.  Amen. 

Sanctus. 

Sanctus  Dominus  Deus  Sabaoth. 

Sahngk-tooce  Do-mee-nooce  Day-ooce  Sah-baJi-oht. 

Holy,  Lord  God  of  hosts, 

Pleni  sunt      coeli         et       terra 

Play-nee      soont      chay-lee      ait      tair-rah 
heaven  and  earth  are  full  of  Thy  glory  : 

Osanna  in  excelsis. 

O-zahn-nah  een  ex-clul-sis. 

Hosanna  in  the  highest. 

Benedictus  qui       venit       in     nomine  Domini. 

Bay-nay-deek-tooce    kwee    vay-neet    een    no-mee-nay      Do-mec-nec. 
Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 


gloria  Tua, 

glaw-ree-ah     Too-ah, 


Agnus  Dei. 


Agnus  Dei, 

Ahn-yooce      Day-ee 
O  Lamb  of  God, 


tollis  peccata  mundi, 

tohl-leece      pek-kah-tah      moon-dee, 
that  takest  away  the  sins  of  the  world, 


qui 
kwee 


miserere  nobis. 

mee-zay-ray-ray     noh-beece. 
have  mercy  upon  us. 


Dona  nobis  pacem. 

Doh-nah       noh-beece        pah-chaim 
Grant  us  Thy  peace. 


Bach's  Mass  in  B  minor. 

Nos.  1  and  3. 

eleison. 
ay-lay-ee-zohn. 

No.  4. 

in       excelsis  Deo,         et       in 

een      ex-chel-seece         Day -oh,     ait      een 

pax,  hominibus  bonae  voluntatis. 

pahx,        ho-mee-nee-booce        boh -nay  vo-loon-tah-teece. 


Kyrie 
Kee-rcc-ay 

Gloria 
Glaw-ree-ah 


terra 
ter-rah 


314  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


Gratias  agimus 

Grah-tsee-ahce      ah-jec-mooct 

gloriam  tuam. 

glaw-ree-ahm  too-ahm. 


No.  6. 

tibi 
tee -be 


No.  8. 
mundi, 


propter 
prohp-tair 


miserere 


magnam 
mahn-yahm 


nobis, 


Qui      tollis         peccata 

Kuee     tohl-lecce   pek-kah-tah    moon-dec,    nice -zay -ray -ray   nohbecce 

suscipe  deprocationem 

soo-shee-pay         day -pray -kah  -tscc-oh-naim 


nostram. 

noh-strahm. 


No.   ii. 

Cum       Sancto  spiritu 

Koom       Sahngk-toh     spee-ree-too 


in 

ecu 


gloria 
glaw-ree-ah 


Dei 
Day-et 


Patris, 
Pah-treece. 


Credo 
Kray-doh 


Patrem 
Pah-traim 


Amen. 
Ah -main. 


in       unum 
ecu     oo-noom 


No.   i 

Deum. 
Day -007H. 


No.    13. 

omnipotentem,  factorcm  coeli 

07n-7iee-poh-taiii-taim,      fahk-toh-raini     chay-lee 


terrae, 
i air -ray, 

invisibilium. 
een-vee-zee-bce-lee-oom 


visibilium 
vee-zee-bee-Ue -00111 


omnium 
0111 -nee -00111 


et 

ait 

et 

ail 


No.   15. 

Et       incarnatus  est      de       Spiritu  Sancto,         ex 

Ait     een-kar-nah-tooce    aist     day      Spee-ree-too  Sahngk-toh,   aix 

Maria  Virgine,  Et       homo  factus  est. 

Mah-rce-ah         Veer-jee-nay,       Ait      hoh-moh  fahk-tooce     aist. 

No.   16. 

Crucifixus  etiam  pro  nobis,  sub  Pontio 

Kroo-chec-fccx-ooce      ait-ee-alun      pro  twh-beece,  soob  Petit -see -oh 


APPENDIX   III.  315 

Pilato;  passus  et         sepultus  est. 

Pce-lah-toh ;      pahce-soocc      ait         say-pool-tooce       aist. 

No.   17. 

Et         resurrexit  tertii  die  secundum 

Ait        ray-zoor-raix-eet        tair-tscc-ah        dee-ay        say-koon-doom 

Scripturas,  Et        ascendit  in       coelum,         sedet 

Screep-too-rahce ;    Ait       ah-shcn-dect      ccn       chay-loom,     say-dait 

ad       dexteram  Dei  Patris;         et      iterum  ven 

ahd    daix-tay-rahm    Day-ce    Pah-treece ;  ait      ee-tay-room    vain- 

turus        est      cum    gloria,  Judicare  vivos      et 

too-rooce    aist     hoom    glaw-ree-ah,      Yoo-dee-kah-ray     vet-voce    ait 

mortuos;  cujus         regni         non       erit       finis. 

mohr-too-ohce ;     koo-yooce     rain-yee     nohn      ay-eet    fee-neece. 

No.   19. 

Confiteor  unum     Baptisma  in    remissionem 

Kohn-fce-tay-ohr    oo-noom  Bahp-teece-mah  een  ray-mcece-see-oh-naim 

peccatorum.  Et       expecto  Resurrectionem 

pck-kah -toh -room.      Ait      aix-paik-toh       Ray-zoor-raik-tsee-oh-naim 

mortuorum,       et     vitam        venturi         saeculi.         Amen. 
mor-too-or-oom.    ait    vee-tahm    vain-too-rce    say -hoc-lee,    Ah-main. 

No.   20. 

Sanctus  Dominus  Deus  Sabaoth. 

Sahngk-tooce  Do-viee-nooce  Day-ooce  Sah-bah-oht. 

Pleni  sunt      coeli  et       terra  gloria  ejus. 

Play-net      soont      chay-lee      ait      tair-rah      glaw-ree-ah      ay-yoos. 

No.  21. 

Hosanna  in      excelsis. 

Hoh-zahn-nah     een     ex-chel-sis. 

.  No.  24. 

Dona         nobis        pacem.  . 

Doh-nah    noh-bcecc    pah-chaim. 


316  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 


Requiem 
Rek  -wee-em 


Verdi's  "  Requiem." 

aeternam  dona  eis  Domine ; 

ay-tair-nahm        doh-nah       ay-eece      Do-mee-nay ; 

et      lux     perpetua  luceat  eis !  Te     decet 

ait     loox    pair -pay -too -ah     loo-chay-aht     ay-eece  !    Tay    day-chayt 

hymnus,         Deus,         in       Sion,         et      Tibi       reddetur 
heem-nooce,     Day-ooce,    ecn      See-on,      ait     tee-bee     rayd-day-toor 

in      Jerusalem :  exaudi         orationem 

ecn     Yay-roo-sah-laim :    aix-ow-dce    oh-rah-tsce-oh-naim 

ad  te  omnis  caro  veniet. 

ahd         tay         ohm-nccce         cah-roh        vay -nee-ait. 


vo-tum 
voh-toom 

meam, 

may-ahm, 

Kyrie 
Kee-ree-ay 


eleison, 
ay-lay-ee-zohn, 


Christe 
Krees-tay 


eleison. 
ay-lay-ee-zohn. 


in 
een 


Dies  irae,         dies  ilia,         Solvet  saeclum 

Dee-ayce     ee-ray,       dee-ayce     eel-lah     Sohl-vait      say-kloom 

favilla,  Teste       David         cum     Sybilla.  Quantus 

fah-veel-lah     Tais-tai  Dah-veed     coom     See-beel-lah.     Quahntooce 


tremor 
tray-mohr 


est 
aist 


futurus, 
foo-too-rooce, 


Quando 
Quahn-doh 


Judex 
Yoo-daix 


est 
aist 


venturus,  Cuncta  stricte 

vain-too-rooce,         Koongk-tah         streek-tay 

Tuba        mirum       spargens  sonum, 

Too-bah     vice-room    spir-jayns  soh-noom, 


regionum, 
ray-jee-oh-noom, 


Cogct 
Kohjait 


omnes 
omnaice 


Rex         tremendae 
Raix        tray -main-day 

salvas  gratis,        Salva 

sahl-vahce      graft  -teece,   Sahl-vah 


majestatis, 
mah-yais-tah-teece, 


discussurus. 
dees  -  koos  -soo  -  rooci . 

Per     sepulchra 
Pair     *ay-pool-krah 

ante  thronum. 

ahn-tay         troh-noom. 

Qui        salvandos 
Quee     sahl-vandoce 


me, 
may, 


fons       pietatis. 
fohnce    pee -ay -tah -teece. 


Huic         ergo       parce        Deus:         Lacrymosa  dies 

Hoo-eek    airgoh   par-chay     Day-ooce     Lah-kree-moh-sah  dee-ayce 


APPENDIX   III. 


317 


ilia,        Qua      resurget  ex      favilla,  judicandus 

eel-lah,    Quah     ray-soor-jayt     aix    fah-veel-lah,  yoo-dee-kahn-dooce 


homo  reus.         Pie         Jesu  Domine, 

ho1[-moh      ray-ooce.     Pee-ay      Yai-zoo      Do-mee-nay, 


Dona 
Doh-nah 


eis 

<y-eece 


requiem. 
ray-quee-aim. 


Amen. 
Ah-main. 


Sanctus  Dominus  Deus  Sabaoth:         Pleni 

Sahngk-toocc     Do-mee-noocc       Day-ooce  Sah-bah-oht:    Play-nee 

sunt    coeli         et     terra  gloria  Tua.       Hosanna 

soont     chay-lee     ait     ter-rah  glaw-ree-ah  Too-ah.    Hoh-zahn-nah 


in        excelsis. 
een      ex-chel-sis 


Benedictus  qui         venit         in 

Bay-nay-deek-tooce       kwee       vay-neet      een 


nomine  Domini. 

no-mee-nay  Do-mee-nee. 

Agnus  Dei,  qui  toll  is  peccata  mundi, 

Ahn-yooce      Day-ee       kwee  tohl-leece      pek-kah-tah       moon-dee, 

dona      eis        requiem  sempiternam. 

doh-nah  ay-eece  rck-wee-em  saym-pee-tayr-nahm. 


Libera  me,      Domine,  de      morte      aeterna,        in 

Lee-bay-rah    may,    Do-mee-nay,      day     mor-tay     ay-tair-nah     een 


dies 
dee-ayce 


ilia 
eel-lah 


tremenda : 
tray-mayn-dah , 


quando 
kwan-doh 


coeli 

chay-lee 


movendi  sunt     et      terra.         Dies  irae,        Dies 

moh-vayn-dee     soont     ait     ter-rah.     Dee-ayce     ee-ray,     Dee-ayce 


ilia 

calami  tat  is 

et 

miseriae : 

Dies 

eel-lah 

kah-lah-mee-tah-tees 

ait 

mees-ay-ree-ay : 

Dee-ayce 

magna  et        amara 

mahn-yah       ait       ah-mah-rah 


valde  Dum       veneris 

vahl-day       Doom      vay-nay-rees 


judicare 
yoo-dee-kah-ray 


saeculum 

say-koo-loom 


per 
pair 


ignem. 
een  -y aim. 


318  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

Dvorak's  "  Stabat  Mater." 

No.  i.    Chorus. 

Stabat         Mater       dolorosa, 

Stah-baht     Mah-tair  (or  ter)    doh-lo-roh-sah, 

Juxta  crucem       lacrymosa, 

Yook-stah     kroo-chcm    la-kree-moh-sah, 

Dum     pendebat         Filius. 
Doom    pen-day-baht     Fee-lee-ooce. 

O    quam     tristis        et      afflicta 
O     quam      treece-tttce  ait     af-fleek-tah 

Fuit        ilia        benedicta 
Foo-eet     eel-la     ben-ay -deek-tah 

Mater      Unigeniti ! 
Mahtcr     Oo-ne-jen-e-tee ! 

Quae     moerebat  et      dolebat. 

Quay      may-ray-baht     ayt     doh-lay-baht. 

Pia         Mater      cum     videbat 
Pee-ah    Mah-tair  boom    vee-day-baht 

Nati         poenas        inclyti. 
Nah-tce    pay-nahce     eeng-hlee-tce. 

Et      tremebat  cum     videbat 

Ayt     tray-may -balit     kootn    vee-day-baht 

Nati         poenas         incliti. 
Nah-tee    pay-nahce     eeng-klee-tee. 


No.  3.    Chorus. 

Eia        Mater,     fons    amoris, 
Ay-ya     mah-tair  fohnce  ah-mo^-reeu 

Me      sentire  v^m     doloris 

May     sain-tee-ray    veem     doh-loh-reece 

Fac    ut     tecum        lugeam. 
Fac    oot     tay -kootn     loo -jay -am. 


APPENDIX    III.  319 

No.  4.     Chorus. 

Sancta     Mater,      istud         agas, 
Sanc-ta     Mah-tair   et-stood     ah-gahce 

Crucifixi  fige         plagas 

Kroo-chee-feek-sce    fee -jay    plah-gahce 

Cordi        meo         valide. 
Kohr-dee   may -oh     vah-lee-day. 


No.  5.     Chorus. 

Tui         Nati       vulnerati, 
Too-ee     nah-tec     vool-nay-rah-tee 

Tarn      dignati  pro    me      pati, 

Tahm    deen-yah-tee    pro     may   pah -tee 

Poenas       mecum        divide. 
Pay-nahce    may-koom    dee-vee-day. 


No.  6.     Chorus. 

Fac    me      vere         tecum       flere, 
Fahk  may     vay-ray     tay-koom   flay-ray, 

Crucifixo  condolere, 

Kroo-chee -feek-soh    kon-doh  -lay-ray, 

Donee      ergo      vixero. 
Doh-nek    ayr-go   veek-say-roh. 

Te       libenter       sociare 

Toy     lee -bain -tair  soh-chee-ah-ray 

In       planctu     desidero. 

Een    piangk-too  day -see -day '-roh. 


No.  7.     Chorus. 

Virgo         virginum  praeclara, 

Veer-goh     veer-jee-noom    pray-klah-rah, 


320  TECHNIQUE  &  INTERPRETATION 

Mihi         jam     non    sis     amara, 
Mee-hee    yam     non     scece   ah-mah-rah, 

Fac      me      tecum        plangere. 
Fac       may     tay-coom     plahn-jay-ray. 


No.  10.     Chorus. 

Quando      corpus     morietur 
Quan-doh     cor-pooce    mo-ree-ay-toor 

Fac      ut      animus         donetur 
Fac      oot      ahn-ee-moos  doh-nay-toor 

Paridisi  gloria. 

Pah -rah -dee -see    glaw-ree-ah. 

Amen. 
Ah -ma  in. 


Berlioz's   "Faust"    (Novello). 

Requiescat  in  pace.      (p.  79.) 

Rek-we-ais-kaht  een        pah-chay. 

Students'  Song  (p.  67). 

Jam       nox      stellata  velamina  pandit ;       nunc 

Yam       nox       stayl-lah-tah       vay-lah-mee-nah      pahn-dect ;  noonk 

bibendum  et       amandum  est.       Vita  brevis 

bee-bain-doom      ait       ah-mahn-doom       aist.       Vce-tah      bray-vecce 

fugax  que  voluptas.  Gaudeamus  igitur. 

foo-gahx  kway        voh-loop-tahs.       Gow -day -ah -moos         ee-gee-toor. , 

Nobis        sub      ridente  luna  per       urbem  quae- 

Noh-beece   soob     ree-dain-tay      loo-nah      pair       oor-baim       kway- 

rentes         puellas  eamus !  Ut     eras       fortunati 

rain-tayce     poo-ail-lahce    ay-ah-mooce !  Oot    krahce    for-too-nah-tee 

Caesares  dicamus ;  veni,       vidi,         vici.      (p.  140.) 

Chay-sah-race      dee-cah-mooce ;  vee-nee,    vee-dte,     vee-chee. 


APPENDIX   III. 


321 


Women's   Chorus. 

Sancta  Maria,  ora  pro     nobis,       Magdale- 

Sahngk-tah   Mah-ree-ah,     oh-rah     pro      iioh-bees.  Mahg-dah-lay- 


na. 

nah. 


Margarita, 
Mar-gah-ree-tah, 


ah! 
ah  I 


Irimiru 
E-re-me-roo 


Demons'    Chorus. 

Karabrao, 
Kah-rah  -brah  -oh 


Has.     (p.  150.) 
Hass. 


fory 
fo-ri 


my 
mee 


O 

o 


mevixe 
may-veex-ay 

caraibo 
cah-rah-ee-boh 


lakinda, 
lah-kcen-dah 


mccn-dah-rah 

dinkorlitz, 
deen-kor-leetz, 


Tradioun  Marexil  firtrudinxe  burrudixe 

Trah-dee-oon        Mah-rayx-eel    fer-troo-deenk-sai      boor -roo -dee  x-ee 

dinkorlitz  O  merikahriu ! 

deen-kor-leetz  Oh        may-ree-kah-ree-00 ! 

Merikariba,  O       mindara 

May-rec-kah-ree-bah        O 

merondor 
may-ron-dor 

Tradioun  marexil,  burudixe. 

Trah-dee-oon        mah-rayx-eel       boo -r 00 -dee  x -ay. 

vixe.  Trudinxe  caraibo. 

veex-ay.  Troo-deenx-ay         cah-rah-ee-boh. 

vixe         merondor.      Mit     aysko,  oh !    Diff    Has. 
veex-ay     may-ron-dor.   meet    ays-koh-oh !     Diff    hass. 

Belphegor,        Mephisto,        Kroix,       Astaroth,        Belzebuth, 
Bel-fay-gor,        Mef-ees-toh,     Kroh-eex,    As-tah-roht,    Bel-zee-boot, 

sat         rayk         irkimour.  Irimine  Karabrao. 

sat         ra-eek       eer-kee-moor.     E-re-nie-nay      Kah-rah-brah-oh. 


Fir 
Feer 

Fir 
Feer 


ome 
oh-may 

ome 
oh-may 

Satan 
S ah -tan 


323 


INDEX 


Page. 

"A  little  bird  in  the  air  "  (King 

Olaf) 4 

Abdominal  Breathing  (see  under 

Breathing) 52 

Accent  (see  under  Rhythm)        . .     94 
Ages  of  efficient  singers  . .         . .  262 

' '  Ah !     my    heart    upbounds  ' ' 

(Elgar)  ..         ..         ..   185 

Aims  of  Choral  Societies  . .       8 

Aladdin,  Conductor  as  an  . .     18 

"All     they     that     see     Him" 

(Messiah)       . .         . .         . .  228 

"All  we  like  sheep"  (Messiah)  226-8 
"  Amen  Chorus"  (Messiah) 

107,  239,  245 
Amplitude  of  Vibration  . .         . .     29 

Analysis     of     composition     for 

possibilities    . .         . .         . .   164 

Analysis  should  precede  synthesis  252 

Of  "  Elijah  "  (Choruses)     296,  302 

Of  ' '  Messiah  ' '  (detailed)       203-48 

Reasons  and  object  of  203-5 

Analysis  (tabulated)  of : 

' '  A    song    for    the   seasons  ' ' 
(Smart)  ..         ..  293-4 

"And      He      shall      purify" 

(Messiah) 208 

"And    suddenly"    (Messiah)  217 

"  And  the  Angel  "  ,, 

' '  And  the  glory  of  the  Lord  ' ' 

(Messiah)       . .  207,  154,  205,  98 
' '  And      with     His     stripes  ' ' 

(Messiah)       . .         . .        92,  226 
' '  As  Vesta  was  from  Latmos 

Hill"  (Weelkes)      ..  281-3 

"  Awake,  awake  !  "  (Bantock) 

289-90 
"Fire,  fire!  "  (Morley)  283-5 

"  For  unto  us  "  (Handel)      216-17 
"  Go,  song  of  mine  "  (Elgar)   288-9 
"  Hosanna    to     the    Son    of 
David  "  (Gibbons)  ..         279-81 


Page. 
Analysis  (tabulated)  of :  (contd.) — 
"  In  going  to  my  lonely  bed  " 
(Edwardes)    . .         . .         . .  286 

' '  In     the     Merry     Spring  ' ' 
(Ravenscroft)  ..         ..  285 

"  Moonlight"  (Faning)  292-3 

"  On  Himalay  "  (Bantock)    ..  291 
"The      Angel's      Whisper" 
(Coward)       . .         . .         . .  293 

' '  The      Cruiskeen      Lawn  ' ' 
(Bantock)       ..         ..  291-2 

' '  The  Lady  Oriana  "(Wilbye)  286-8 
"  The  Nights  "  (Challinor)  ..  294 
"The    Shepherd's    Lament" 

(Smart)  295 

' '  There  rolls  the  deep ' '  (Parry)  290 
Antiphonal  effects  (Messiah)  . .  230 
Appendix  I.  : 

Notes  on  Interpretation  279-302 
Appendix  II.  : 

Circulars  to  members  of   the 
World  Tour  Choir  . .  303-7 

Appendix  III.  : 
Apotheosis  of  sustained  notes  224 
Latin  words  of  Classics  with 
phonetic  spellings  ..  308-21 

Arnold,    Professor  (of  Sheffield)  201 
"  Armada  "  (Bough ton)  ..  167 

Arrangement    for    rehearsal    of 

competing  choir       . .         . .  269 

Articulation  (see  under  Words)    4,  69 
Great  choirs'  standard  of       . .     81 
Hindrances  to  clear     . .         . .     72 

Importance  of  final  consonants  in207 
Key  to  secure  clear      . .         . .     83 

Miscalculation      of    muscular 
effort  in  . .  . .  . .  77-9 

Artistic  discrimination  ..  126-8,150 
Artistic  voice  control  . .  "37 
* ' Atalanta  in  Calydon ' '  (Bantock) 

114,  141,  144,  153,  163 


324 


INDEX 


Page. 

•  34 

•  32 

•  133 
.      36 

133 


Attack  : 

Difficulties  of  artistic  . . 

Hitting  the  bull's-eye  . . 

In  difficult  phrases 

Mentalizing  the  note   . . 

Plans  to  give  confidence  in 

Two  kinds  :    Mechanical   and 
Artistic  . .  . .  . .     32 

Attributes  of  artistic  singing      . .       7 

"  Baal,  wecry  to  thee  "(Elijah)  100-1 
Bach's  B  minor  Mass     .. 

34.  M5.  155.  170.  3I3-I5 

,,      "  Sing  ye"  44.  164,  197 

Backward  tone-production        . .     39 

Bantock,  Granville  ..         •  •     45 

Beethoven's  "Mass  in  D"    .. 

35,  105,  308-13 
"  Behold,  a  Virgin  "  (Messiah)  208 
"Behold,     I     tell     you  "    and 
"The  trumpet  shall  sound  " 
(Messiah)       . .         . .         . .  239 

"Behold,  the    Lamb   of  God" 
(Messiah)       ..         ..         ..221 

Bell  tones  (vocal). .  ..  ..   174 

How  produced  , .         . .         . .   1 76 

Bellini         . .         . .  . .   147 

Birmingham  Festival  . .       2 

"  Blessed  are  the  men  "  (Elijah) 

43.  182 
"Blest  Pair  of  Sirens"  (Parry) 

108,  144,  154,  167,  181,  185 
Blue  pencil      ..         15,  131,  137,  266 
Blundering  through  rehearsal  ..     11 
Brahms's  "  Requiem  "    ..       16,107, 
no,  112,  131,  144,  149 
Brains,  a  scarce  commodity      . .  252 
Breadth  of  design  . .  ..112 

Breath,  holding  it  at  waist         . .     31 

Afflux 48 

Amateur  fear  of  effect . .  . .  184 
Examples  of  effectual  use  . .  185 
Breathing  for  singing  purposes. .  49 
Abdominalists  and  Costalites. .  53 
Attributes  of  . .         . .     50 

Automatic  nasal  inspiration  . .     59 
Benefits  of  deep  . .  . .     64 

Building  up  breath-pressure  . .     65 
Chief  methods  of  . .     51 

Command  of  respiratory  mus- 
cles in  . .     49 
Daily  opportunities    of    prac- 
tising . .         . .          . .          . .     62 


Page. 
Breathing   for  singing   purposes 
(contd.)— 
Developing  subconscious  habit 
-  of  deep  . .  . .  . .     64 

Dr.  Hulbert'sbook  on. .  51,  59 

Exercises  for  choralists  . .     61 

Exercising  when  walking        . .     63 
In  bravura  singing       ..  ..58 

In  compartments  . .         . .     67 

Inhalation  for  singing. .  ..     58 

Jenny     Lind     and     clavicular 
method  . .         . .         . .     56 

Lateral  Costal  in  excelsis       . .     57 
Method    of    getting    unity    of 

effect  in  runs,  &c.     . .  67 

Mixing      and       masking      of 
methods  of     . .         . .         •  •     57 

Old  favourites  and  defective  . .     61 
Old  Italian  methods  of  . .     54 

Places,  arrangement  of,  runs. .  213 
Principles  of,  not  involved     . .     51 
Rhythmical  . .  . .     63 

Rules  for  taking  breath  66,  59 

Singer's  fate  depends  on         . .     60 
When  and  where  to     . .  . .     65 

Breathy-tone         . .  . .  . .   182 

Examples  of  its  use  . .   184 

How  to  obtain  . .  . .   183 

"But    Thou    didst  not  leave" 

(Messiah)        . .  . .  . .   229 

"  But  who  may  abide"  (Messiah)  208 
Mutt.  Madame  Clara  ..  20,118 
"By    man"    and    "Even   so" 

(Messiah)        . .  . .   239 

Carrying  glide  "  uh  "      ..        85,206 
Catastrophes    through    omitting 

rests     . .         . .  . .         . .   272 

Catch  words  . .  . .  . .   273 

"  Mack  again  ". .  ..   144 

"  Happy  land  "  . .  273-4 

"  Make  it  cut  " . .  ..  273 

Save  time  and  temper  . .   273 

"  Thrill  "  273 

Cause  of  failure  in  bravura  pas- 
sages   . .  . .   104 
Characteristics  of  madrigal,  glee, 

part-song,  and  chorus       189-200 
Characterization   . .  . .   166 

Opened   new  world   of    vocal 

effects 167 

Technique  of     . .  . .   168 

The  laugh  and  gibe  . .   169 


INDEX 


325 


Page. 
Choking  off  pretenders  . .  . .  259 
Choral  Conductor  . .         . .  249 

Analysis  must  precede  synthesis  252 
Fight  with  time  . .         . .  249 

Imaginary  equipment  . .  . .  249 
Interpretation  chief  function. .  251 
Management  of  rehearsals  . .  251 
Mastery  of  competition  music  266 

Mild  autocracy 251 

Oases  in  ten  years'  desert       . .   257 
Personal  magnetism     . .         . .  250 

Real  equipment  . .         . .   249 

Rewards  of  leadership  . .   256 

Self-reliance      . .         . .         . .   249 

Tact  in  conducting      . .         . .   255 

,,     in  rehearsals  with  mem- 
bers          253 

,,     with  committees  . .   254 

Ten  years'  waiting  patience   . .  250 

Toning  down  or  exceeding  rule  252 

Choral   Symphony    (Beethoven)  134 

Choral  voice-building      . .         . .     22 

,,  ,,  ,,     three  axioms 

Chording,  balance,  blend  . .  270 

Chorus,  How  to  perform  the     .  •   196 
Clever  sarcasm,  squaring  accounts  253 
Climax,      arranging      breathing 

places  for,  &c.  . .         . .   122 

Irregular  progress  to   . .         . .   130 

Reserving  power  for    . .         . .  236 

Securing  adequate       ..         ..122 

Climaxes  of  voices  . .  27,  29 

Cold  douche,  a  timely     . .         . .     91 

"  Come,  let  us  sing  " 

(Mendelssohn)  ..         ..   120 

Compartmental    specializing  re- 
hearsal . .         . .       . .         . .       9 

Keep  all  the  choir  engaged      16,  28 
Opportunist's  method  . .  13,  17 

Competitions  : 
Astounding  development        . .  263 
Conductors,  mode  of  preparing 
for        . .         . .         . .         . .  265 

Diction  drill  for  . .         . .   267 

Method  secret  of  success        . .   265 
Specializing  method    . .         . .   266 

Useful  working  axioms  . .   265 

Competitive  Conductor  . .         . .   263 

Acquiring  technical  points     . .   266 
Mastering       atmosphere       of 
piece    . .  . .  . .  . .   270 

Concentration  at  rehearsals       . .   277 
Conjurer  and  inexhaustible  hat  253 


Page. 
Consonants,    Common   error  of 

clipping  85 

Curtailing  disagreeable  sibilant  85-6 
Glide  "  uh  "  to  give  clear     85,  206 
Importance  of  definite  aim     . .     73 
Incisive  delivery  of      . .         "72 
New  definition  of         . .         . .     82 

Why  so  widely  neglected       . .     81 
Contrasts  of  effect . .         ..     129,212 

Conventional     generalizing     re- 
hearsal . .         . .         . .       9 

Co  wen,  Sir  Frederic        ..         ..38 

Crescendo — two  forms  : 

Unbroken  and  accented      . .   131 
Critical  particularizing  rehearsal 

9,  10,  12,  14 
When  and  why  it  fails  . .     12 

When   it  can   b2  successfully 
used        ..         ..         ..        177-8 

"  Cruiskeen  Lawn  "  (Bantock). .   150 
Crux  of  Artistry,  The      . .         . .  200 

Cumulative  effect  of  reiterations  172 

,,  ,,       Excellence    of  276 

Curve  of  sound  in  phrasing       . .   238 

"Dance,  The"  (Elgar)  ..         ..   185 

Davies,  Dr.  Walford       . .         . .   182 

"  Dead  rides  Sir  Morten  "  (Olaf)  173 
Deadhorse  Road  . .         . .         . .     46 

"Demons'  Chorus"  (Gerontius) 

41,  167,  180,  187,  188 
Devices  at  final  rehearsals  . .  277 
Diaphragmatic  Breathing  . .     52 

(see  Breathing) 
Diction        . .         . .         . .         . .       4 

Graphic  characterization  in   ..   178 
Different  styles  of  composition  . .   189 

,,  ,,      How  to  sing  them 

189-200 
Diminuendo,     continuous      and 

cascade-like    . .         . .         . .   132 

"  Divide  and  Conquer  "  method     13 
Donizetti    .  •         . .         . .         . .   147 

Dundreary,  Lord  . .         . .         . .   166 

Dvorak's  "  Stabat  Mater  "        318-20 

Elgar,  Sir  Edward  . .         45, 172 

"Elijah"   ..  46,  156-7,  159,  162,  189 

Elusive  "  three  per  cent."  ..  200 

Elixir  of  artistic  life     . .  . .   201 

"Everyman"  (Walford  Davies)  181 

"  Who  hath  you 

these  tidings  brought"        ..   184 


326 


INDEX 


Pace. 

Exaggeration  to  get  result  . .  243 

Exaltation  and  subordination  of 

voice  parts       ..        146,218,223, 

228,  230 

Expression    (see    under    Musical 

Expression)    . .         . .  . .     88 

Facial  expression  . .  . .         . .   188 

Difficulty  of 189 

"  Faust  "   (Berlioz)    "  Demons' 
Chorus,"  Amen       ..        13,166, 
189,  272,  320-21 
Fine  effect  of  long  crescendo     . .  230 
Flattening  and  its  remedy  . .     39 

"Flying  Dutchman"   (Wagner) 

169,  171 
"  For  as  in  Adam  "  (Messiah)  . .  238 
••For  behold  "  (       ,,      )  ..  211 

"Foruntous"     ..     16,66,103,104, 

212 
,,  Tabulated  analysis  216 

Fortissimo,  six  degrees  28,  129,  150 
"  Franklyn's  Dogge  " 

(Mackenzie)  ..  ..  173,  187 
French  artist's  sauce       ..  ..91 

"  Fretting  "  a  chorus      ..  11 

Fugues,  fugal  entries       ..         ..   155 

"Gerontius"       ..         ..    5,88,114, 
119,  143,  163,  169 
"  Demons'  Chorus  ' ' 

41.  17*.  *73 

Gibe,  The 169 

Glee.  How  to  perform  the  . .  193 
Glorifying  prepared  discord  207,  224 
"Glory  to  God"..         ..  4.218 

"  Go,  Song  of  Mine  "  . .  15,  66,  151 
"  Golden  Legend  "  (Sullivan)  . . 

182,  272 
Gounod      ..         ..         ..         ..   147 

"  Hallelujah  "  (Messiah)  179,  232 
Handel  and  working  to  climax..  116 
"  Handymen  "  of  choir  . .  ..  149 
Harmonics..         ..  42,  174,  177 

Harriss.  Dr.  Charles       . .  . .       1 

"  Haste  thee,  Nymph  " 

(Handel)  . .  ..  137,  1 19 
Haydon  on  the  "Line  of  Beauty  "  92 
"He    gave    them     hailstones" 

(Israel)  99 

"  He  is  gracious  "  (Elijah)  ..  179 
••  He  shall  die  "       (     ,,     )        ..181 


Page. 
"  He  shall  feed  "  (Messiah)  . .  218 
"  He  shall  purify  "  (Messiah)  34,  55 
"  He  trusted  in  God  "  (Messiah) 

4,  41,  228 
"  He  was  despised  "  (Messiah). .  223 
"Hiawatha"  (Coleridge-Tavlor) 

173. 187 
Hints  on  private  practice  . .  304 

"  His  yoke  is  easy  "  (Messiah)..  218 
"Hoist   up  your  sails  of  silk" 

(Olaf) 173.  182 

Holding  breath  at  waist..  ..  31 
Homogeneity  of  tone       . .  . .       3 

"  How  beautiful  are  "  (Messiah)  230 
"  How  lovely  are  Thy  Dwellings  " 

(Brahms)        . .         . .         . .   103 

How  to  avoid  staleness   . .         . .  277 

,,     breathe  (see  Breathing). .     50 

, ,     select  choir  . .  . .  258 

Huddersfield     Festival      Choral 

Society..         ..         ..       47,308 

Hulbert,  Dr.,  on  Breathing  51,  59 
Human  clocks  need  rewinding  74 
Humming  on  "  M  "         ..  ..     41 

"I  am  the  god  Thor  "   (Elgar) 

137.  138 
"I   know   that   my  Redeemer" 

(Messiah)        238 

Imitative  phrases,   obvious  and 

obscure  ..         ..    155,  158-9 

Importance  of  reading  power  . .  259 
"  In  and  out  "  singing,  bad  effect 

of         276 

"In  going   to  my  lonely   bed" 

150.  19* 
Inertia,     "Giant     Despair"    of 

conductors     ..  ..         27,  124 

Pernicious  effect  in  words  of  . .     74 

Intensity  of  sound  and  feeling    28,  30 

Interchange  of  parts       ..  148-9,153, 

240,  244 

International       Conference      of 

Musicians       ..  ..  ..   279 


Joachim 
"Judith  "  (Parry) 


..  tiS 

158,  167,  181 

..28 


Kalisch.  Mr 

"Kathleen  Mavourneen  " 

Key  words  of  sentences 

"  King  Olaf,"  "  And    none    had 

seen  " 184 


104 


INDEX 


327 


Page. 

"  King  Olaf,"  "  Overwhelmed  "     28 

"King  Saul"        ..106,  109,  181,  182 

"  Kingdom,  The  "  (Elgar)  114, 

M3.  163 

Larynx,  The  ..         ..  21,35 

Lateral     Costal     Breathing     (see 

Breathing)      ..         ..  31.52 

Latin  words  of  works,  with  pho- 
netic spellings  ..  30821 
"  Laudo  Deum  Verum  "  (Golden 
Legend)          . .         . .         .  •   150 

Laugh,  The  168 

Law  of  sympathy  . .  12564 

Leeds  Choral  Union        . .         . .  308 

Festival       . .         . .         . .       2 

Lemare,  E.  H.  Rhythm  on  organ    95 
"  Let  Him  be  God  "  (Elijah)     ..   184 
"Let   their    celestial  concerts" 

(Samson)        . .         . .         . .   108 

"  Let  us  break  "  (Messiah)        ..  231 
"  Lift  up  your  heads"  (Messiah)  230 
Limitations  of  old  style  of  chorus 

singing  . .  . .  . .       6 

Lind,  Madame  Jenny     . .  56,  57 

Line    of     Beauty    (see    Musical 
expression)      . .         . .         . .   115 

Lloyd,  Edward     . .         . .  20 

Loose  throat  (see  Voice)  . .  42,  45 

"Lullaby"  (Elgar)         ..         ..   102 

Madrigal,  How  to  perform  the 

190,  279,  288 
"  Maid  of  Athens  "  ..  ..  121 
Malcontents,      unresponsive 

singers  . .         . .  255-6 

Mandl,  Dr.  Theory  of  breathing  54 
Marking  of  expression  . .  279,  307 
"  Marksman  "  (Elgar)  102,  107,  108 
Maskelyne,  Mi      . .  . .  14 

Mastery  of  competition  music  . .  265 
Mentalizing  the  note  for  attack. .  36 
"Messiah"  ..         ..46,47,145 

Analysis  . .         . .     203-48,  154,  169 

Reasons  for  and  object  205 

"Method  the  secret  of  success  '  303 

"'Moonlight"  (Faning)  ..       143,  152 

Motto  words,  mental  tonic        . .  275 

To  glorify  ideal . .         . .  275-6 

Muscular     action     of    lips    and 

tongue..         ..         ..         . .     72 

Musical  Expression  . .  . .     88 

Arranging  Crises  in     ..       115,117 


Pace. 
Musical  Expression  (contd.) — 
Assertive  emotional  pressure  in  144 
Constituents  of. .         ..         ..Ill 

Crowding  out  of  poetic  . .     90 

Crowning  of  climax     . .         . .   122 

Dual  renderings  ..         ..119 

Dynamics,  Chief  factor  of     ..   no 
Effective  syncopations  in        ..   231 
Emotional  pressures  in  . .   143 

Five  principal  rules  of  . .     93 

Fortissimo  . .         . .         . .   129 

Four  chief  divisions  of  . .     94 

Graphic  portrayal  of    ..         ..117 

Importance  of  principles  of  . .  289 
Importance    of   swell    in    (see 

under  Swell). 
Line  of  beauty  in  . .      115,  117 

Management    of   sustained 

sounds  in         ..         ..      144,237 

Many  right  ways  of     ..         ..   117 

Misplaced  accent  in     ..         ..   121 

Obtrusive  swell  in        . .         . .   145 

Phrasing,  The  art  of,  means..     94 
Pianissimo  in     . .         . .         . .   124 

Pianosandfortesnotthewholeof  92 
Reserving  force  for  crises  123,  236 
Sforzandos,     Dynamic     and 

emotional       . .         . .         . .   139 

Staccato  and  Release  . .  x35-7 

Status  of  choir  depends  upon    89 
Stresses  and  pressures  in        . .   139 
Travesty  of        ..         ..         ..   120 

Two  great  impediments  to  . .  90 
Value  of  restraint  in     . .-        ..116 

Nasal  Resonance             . .  46,  26 

Avoidance  of  excess  of  "44 

Cavities  . .         . .         . .  39 

Exercises  for     ..         ..  ..     41 

For  characteristic  tone  ..   178 

Habit  of,  and  nursing  of  . .     43 

Harmonics         . .         . .  42 

Pianissimo  aided  by     . .  . .     36 

Vowels  favourable  for . .  . .  236 

Necessity  of  a  high  ideal  . .  305 

New  works,  The  demands  of  .       5 

Newcastle  Choral  Society  . .  308 

Notes  of  interpretation    . .  297-302 

"  O,  never,  never  bow  we  down  " 

(Judas)  99 

"O  Thou  that  tellest  * 

(Messiah)         ..         ..     154,208 


328 


INDEX 


Page. 
"  Omar  Khayyam  "  (Bantock)   . . 

139,  144,  167,  188 
Onomatopoetic      effects  —  Bell 

tones    ..         ..         ..  -.174 

"Open  the  Heavens  "  (Elijah) . .   127 

Pachmann,    Interpretation    of 
"  Chopin  "     . .         . .         •  •     95 

Paderewski,    M.      Reasons    for 
pre-eminence..         ..  . .     95 

Parry,  Sir  Hubert  •  •     45 

Pastoral  Symphony         ..  ..217 

Patti,  Madame      . .         . .  . .     20 

Penalty  of  competing      . .         . .   264 

Personification    of    abstract    ex- 
pression ..         ..  ..   271 

Phrasing     . .  . .  . .  . .       4 

Musical  Expression,  Art  of    ..     94 
"  Pied  Piper"  (Parry)     ..  ..178 

Pianissimo :  . .  . .  . .     36 

Attenuated  despicable  tone  in    41 
Ethereal  seventh-heaven        ..   124 
Evolution  and  Technique  of  . .     37 
Floating  tone  in  . .     42 

How  to  obtain  . .  . .     36 

Loose  throat  in  . .     42 

Maintaining  perfect  pitch       . .     36 
Nasal  harmonics  in      . .         . .     42 

Nasal  resonance  in       . .  . .     43 

Nebulous  effect  of  closing  bars 

in  128 

Physical  sensations  of . .  . .     38 

Singing  by  faith  in        ..  ..   125 

Specializing  for  developing    . .     26 

Standard  of        . .  . .  "37 

Three  disturbing  elements  in . .   124 

Plea  for  constant  recapitulation  304 

Predominant  soprano  part         . .   147 

Preservation  of  voice  (see  Voice)     45 

Psychological  stimulus    . .         . .     42 

Reasons  for  writing  this  book..  7 

Reeves,  Sims         ..          ..        35,  118 

Rehearsal.  The  :   . .  8 

Hints  forcompeting  choir      . .  265 

How  to  conduct            . .  9 

Injudicious  rushing  during    ..  12 

Means  to  an  end                       . .  8 

hods  of:       ..         ..         ..  9 

(a)  The  Conventional  Gener- 
alizing ; 
(fc)  The  Critical    Particular- 
izing ■ 


Pack. 
Rehearsal  The  :  (contd.)  — 

(c)  The    Compartmental 
Specializing. 
Specializing  for  strengthening 
voice  in  . .         . .         . .     28 

Union  of  three  methods         . .     14 
Rehearsing  at  low  pitch  . .         . .  133 

Reiterated  notes  . .         . .     34 

Phrases,  Fine  effect  of  . .   172 

Sung  quickly,  slowly,  or  high  34,  36 
Respiration  (see  Breathing)         . .     49 
Review    of    possible    variety    in 

Messiah  . .         . .  246-8 

Rhetorical  accent. .  ..       179,220 

Rhythm — Control  of  accents    . .       4 
Converting  hard  beat  to  emo- 
tional . .         . .         . .         . .   102 

Definition  of 94 

Devising  scheme  of  varied     . .   102 
Disturbance  of  regular  accents  108 
Importance      of     accents     in 
triplets  . .         . .         . .   109 

Music  without  . .         . .  . .     96 

Musical  illustrations    ..  98-100 

Paderewski,     Pachmann,    and 
Lemare  masters  of    . .         . .     95 

Regular  and  irregular. .         ..     95 

Tactics  of  mild-mannered  lady 
and       . .         . .         . .  •  •     97 

Treatment  of  irregular  . .   105 

Value  of  occasional  spasmodic  106 
Risk  in  varying  marked  expres- 
sion     . .         . .  . .  . .  271 

Rossini        . .  . .         . .  . .   147 

Ruskin's  dicta  on  Beauty         . .     92 

"Samson    and    Delilah" 

(Saint-Saens) 185 

Santley,  Sir  Charles        ..        20,116 
Secondary  motives,   Prominence 

of         164 

Sforzando,  Emotional                . .   139 
Dynamic            . .                     . .   139 
Line  of  mean  force  in  . .          ..   142 
Sheffield  Musical  Festival          . .       7 
,,         Union            ..       6 
2i.  166.  268.  308 
Shock  of  glottis    ..       27.33,35,137 
"  Since  by  man  ". .                  126,238 
"  Sing  with  your  ears  "              ..  270 
Singing  from  memory     . .         . .  272 
Singing   from  subconscious   im- 
pulse     306 


INDEX 


329 


Pace. 
Singing  with  impulse  from  within  271 
Six  thrills  each  concert  . .         . .     29 
Specializing      (see      under      Re- 
hearsals) . 
"  Spectre's  Bride,  The"  (Dvorak)  140 
"  There  is  a  Spectre  "   184,  186,  188 
Staccato,  Detached         . .         "34 
Emotional,  insipient  sobs       . .   138 
Usually  blurred  . .      135,  138 

Standard  of  examination  tests  . .  260 
"Story  of  Bethany"  (H.  Coward)  165 
Strengthening  of  voice  part  206, 

211,  238 
,,  thematic  voice        149, 

2C8,  211 

Stresses  and  pressures     . .         . .   139 

"  Strike,  strike  the  lyre  "  66,  194 

Sullivan,  Sir  Arthur        ..         ..113 

"Sun-God's      Return,     The" 

(Mackenzie)   . .         . .         . .   128 

"  Surely,  He  hath  borne  " 

(Messiah)       ..         ..      179,223 

Sustained  sounds  . .         . .         . .   237 

Svengaliizing  the  choir  . .         . .  252 

Swell  the  basis  of  expression     . .  112 
'*  Accordion  Expression  "  of . .   113 
Contrasted  with  swell..      114,  115 
Emotional  . .         . .         . .  221 

Given  quickly  for  ^"effect       ..  215 
Lopsided  and  descriptive       . .    146 
Obtrusive  . .         . .         . .   145 

Perfect,  only  occasionally  used  112 
When  long,  usually  parabolic  115 
Systematized    plans    in   difficult 
places  . .         . .         . .         . .  243 

Tabulated  notes  of  interpretation 

279-302 
"  Take  all  the  Prophets  of  Baal  "  180 
Testing  for  effect  in  rehearsal  . .  157 
"  The  enemy  shouteth  " 

(Mendelssohn)  ..         ..   179 

"  The  people  that  walked  "  ..  211 
"  Their  sound  is  gone  out  " 

(Messiah)        . .         . .         ..217 

' '  There  were  shepherds  ' ' 

(Messiah)        218 

Things  which  dishearten  singers  277 
Thinking  in  continents  . .  . .  203 
'  Thou      shalt     break     them ' ' 

(Messiah)        . .       '  . .         . .  232 

Thrills        27,  30 

Due  to  intensity  of  sound        .     28 


Page. 
"  Thus  saith  "  (Messiah)  . .  208 

"  Thy  rebuke "       ,,        ..         ..  229 

Tone,  Breathy      . .         . .         . .   182 

Characterization  . .  3.  36 

Colour    . .         . .         . .         . .     36 

Homogeneity    in  . .         . .     31 

Quality 3 

Tonic  Sol-fa  College       . .         . .     21 

Travestying  expression    . .         . .   187 

Trick  singing         ..         ..         ..170 

Turner's  final  "  touching  up"  ..     16 

Unison  singing,  Value  of  . .  206,  213, 

220 

Value    of    personal    appeal    by 

circular  . .         . .   278,  303  7 

Value  of  unison  singing  in  runs, 

divisions,  &c. . .  . .  . .   206 

Varieties  of  ways  in  treating  same 

phrase  118 

"  Veil,  The"  (Cowen)     38,  140,  163, 

181 

' '  Spirit  Divine  ' '       (The  Veil)     67 

"  Then  for  a  moment  "  (     „    )  184 

Verdi's  "  Requiem  "       ..     131,147, 

185,  316-17 

"  Vital  Spark  "     ..         ..         ..10 

Voice  . .         . .         . .         . .     19 

Associating  throat  with  35,  46 

Attention  to  purity  of  tone     . .     47 
Attributes  of,  choralists  should 
possess  . .         . .         . .  208 

Attributes  of  fresh        . .         . .  262 

Backward  production  . .         . .     39 

Build  up  slowly  . .  . .     40 

Carrying   power  of  weak  but 
pure     . .         . .         . .         . .   269 

Changing   position   of    mouth 
for  varied        . .         . .         . .     46 

Choice  of,  for  choirs    . .         . .   261 

Choral  building  of       . .         . .     22 

Climaxes  and  thrills  by  27,  28 

Coaxing  air  current  for  . .     26 

Conflicting  tone  qualities        ..     23 
Developing  power  of    ..         . .     27 

Dissociating  throat  from         . .   137 

Extending  its  compass  . .     26 

,,  exercises  ..     27 

Forward  production    . .         . .     40 

Harsh  harmonics        . .         . .     23 

How  to  secure  homogeneity  . .     21 
Mezzo  singing,  Clatter  in       . .     46 


33° 


INDEX 


Pace. 
Voice  (contd.) — 

Mixing  of  incongruous  colours  25 

Nasal  resonance  in       . .         . .  26 

Not  unalterable. .         ..         •  •  23 

Preservation  of..         ..         ..  45 

Quality,  Building  vowels  of  . . 

24,  26,  29 

Resting,  while  singing..         ..  46 

Shock  of  glottis  in  production  27 

Treatment  of  fossilized           . .  262 

Value  of  clear    . .         . .         . .  269 

Varieties  of,  in  choral  societies  19 

Tone-building  exercises           . .  24 

Vowels,     exercises     for     vowel 

sounds            . .         . .  79 

Carrying  glide  "  uh  ". .         ..  85 

Much  abused  diphthongs      . .  80 

"  Wait  and  see  "  ..         ..         ..  12 

Watts  on  "  Line  of  Beauty  "     . .  93 
' '  Wedding  of  Shon  Maclean  " . . 

MX,  173.  185 
"  What    have    we    to    do    with 
Kaikobad  ' ' — Omar  Khayyam 

(Bantock)        ..          ..          ..  139 

"  What  is  Genius  ?  "       ..         ..  10 

Wheel  within  wheel        . .      163,  165 


Page. 
"Will  then  the  Lord"  (Elijah)  184 
"  Why  do  the  Nations"         104,  231 
Words- 
Choristers'  self-deception       . .     72 
Conductors'         , ,  . .     69 

Conversational  speecn  defective    76 
Hindrances  to  articulation  .  .72,  76 
Imaginary  deaf  gentleman      70,  75 
Paramount  importance  of       . .     75 
Percentage  in  competitions    . .     69 
Pernicious  effect  of  inertia  in . .     74 
Power  of  context  ..         . .     71 

,,       ,,  duty  over  inertia     ..     17 
Shading-off  final  syllable       . .  226 
Twofold  reason  for  indistinct- 
ness    . .         . .         . .         . .     76 

When  not  to  jay  . .         . .   185 

When  not  to  sing  . .         . .   186 

Why  conductors  deceive  them- 
selves (see  under  Articulation, 
Vowels,  and  Consonants)  . .     76 
World  Tour  Choir        1.  47,  150.  261 
"  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  " . .     108,  154, 

239 
"  Wraith  of  Odin  "  (King  Olaf) 

4.  167 


33i 


MUSICAL     ILLUSTRATIONS 


Composition. 

Point  Illustrated. 

Page. 

1 '  All  we  like  sheep  " 

Poignant     expression    in    responsive 

(Messiah) 

voices 

.     227 

"Amen  Chorus"  .. 

To  emphasise  close  imitations  . 

107 

(Messiah) 

To  make  "close  imitations"  clear  t 

0 

the  ear 

.     242 

"  And  the  glory  "  . . 

.      98 

(Messiah) 

Breathing  places  and  climax    . . 

.     207 

Model  of  phrasing 

•       99 

Prepared  discords 

.     207 

Strengthening  contralto  part  . . 

.     207 

"And   with    His  stripes" 

"  Atalanta  in  Calydon  "  . . 

Emotional  swell  and  staccato  . . 

.      141 

Prominence  of  chief  theme 

•     143 

Symmetrical  Curves  of  sound . . 

.     114 

B  minor  Mass 

Emphasising  sustained  notes   . . 

•      145 

Treatment  of  fugue  in  exposition 

•     155 

"Baal,   we  cry"   (Elijah) 

2  and  4  bar  rhythm 

100 

Beethoven's  Mass  in  D    . . 

Special  treatment  of  syncopation 

.      105 

' '  Behold  and  see  " 

Emotional  orchestral  response 

.     222 

(Messiah) 

"Bells  of  St.  Michael's" 

Onomatopoetic  effects 

175-6 

"  Blessing  and  Glory  "    . . 

.     108 

(Messiah) 

' '  Blest  Pair  of  Sirens  " 

Long  crescendo  to  strong  accent 

.     108 

(Parry) 

Glorifying  tenor  entry  .. 

•     154 

Brahms's  "Requiem  "    .. 

Accentuation  of  triplets 

no 

fp  in  close  imitations 

.     107 

Glorifying  of  voice  part 

•     149 

2,  3,  and  4  bar  rhythms 

•     "3 

' '  Come,  let  us  sing  " 

Misplaced  accent 

.     120 

"  Cruiskeen  Lawn  " 

Example  of  phrasing 

•     150 

How  to  secure  varied  rhythm . . 

99 

Strengthening  of  voice  part     . . 

.  150-1 

332        MUSICAL     ILLUSTRATIONS 


Composition. 


1  Elijah  " 
"  And  the  glory  " 
"  He  that  shall  endure 
"  Hear  us,  Baal  " 
"His  curse" 
"  Open  the  Heavens  " . 
Everyman  " 

Flying  Dutchman  " 
For  as  in  Adam  ' ' 
For  unto  us  " 


1  Gerontius" 


'  Go.  Song  of  Mine 
1  Golden  Legend  " 

Hallelujah" 


' '  He  was  despised  ' ' 
"  Hear  my  prayer  " 
"  His  yoke  " 


"  In  going   to    my   lonely 
bed  "        

"Judith" 

"KingOlaf" 
"  King  Saul  " 

"Kathleen    Mavourneen  " 

"  Let  us  break  " 

"  Maid  of  Athens  " 


Point  Illustrated. 


Page. 


Treatment  of  fugal  entries        ..  ..  156 

Treatment  of  obscure  imitations  159  62 

Varied  bar  rhythms       ..          ..  ..  101 

When  to  use  cutting  tone         . .  . .  157 

Subtraction  of  voices     ..          ..  ..  127 

Cynical  diction    . .         . .          . .  . .  181 

Trick  singing,  the  laugh           . .  . .  169 

Parabolic  swell    ..         ..          ..  ..127 

Giving  thrill  to  words   ..  215 

Marked  accent  at  climax         . .  . .  104 

Making  contralto  part  effective  . .  214 

Phrasing  and  unison      ..          ..  ..  213 

Working  to  a  climax      . .          . .  . .  103 

Contrasted  perfect  swells         ..  ..  114 

Cumulative  reiterations            ..  ..  173 

Emphasising  derisive  laugh     . .  . .  172 

Emphatic  emotional  pressure  . .  . .  143 

Example  of  dual  rendering      ..  ..  119 

Giving  point  to  obscure  imitations  . .  163 

Delicate  shadings           ..         ..  ..  151 

Reserving  force  to  ensure  climax  . .  123 

Bold  attack  and  reserving  power  for 

climax    ..          ..         ..         ..  ..  336 

Contrast    of   p    and   /   and     rousing 

crescendo         . .         . .          . .  . .  235 

Glorifying  word  . .         . .          . .  . .  233-4 

Overpowering     crescendo     to     grand 

climax 337 

Sympathetic  accompaniment  . .  . .  223 

Incorrect  word  accent    ..  179 

Phrase  for  unison  singing  . .  220 

Phrasing  for  climax       . .  . .  219 


Responsive  marked  entries       ..  ••191-3 

Use  of  hard  nasal  tone 158 

Wheel  within  a  wheel    . .  . .  165 

Accentuation,  supremacy  of  triplets..  109 

Dramatic  syncopations  . .         . .         . .  106 

Emotional  swell,  non-monotonous     . .  102 


Dramatic  syncopation 
Travesty  of  expression 


231.  105 
..     121 


MUSICAL     ILLUSTRATIONS        333 


Composition. 

Point  Illustrated. 

Page. 

' '  Marksman  " 

Emphasising  important  accents 

. .  107  8 

"  Moonlight  " 

Emphatic  pressure  and  quick  . . 

..     143 

Prominence  of  chief  theme 

..     152 

u  O  Thou  that  tellest  " 

Contrasts  of  pp  and/    .. 

..     211 

Emphasising  contralto  part 

..     210 

Fugal  entries,  shading  off 

..     209 

"  Pied  Piper  "  (Parry) 

Characterized  graphic  diction. . 

..     178 

"  Samson  " 

Crescendo  on  reiterated  notes . . 

..     108 

Sight-Singing  Test 

Entrance  to  choral  society 

..     260 

"  Since  by  man  "  . . 

Subtraction  of  voices 

..     127 

"  Sing  ye  "  (Bach) 

Contrasted  and  varied  expression 

•  •  197-9 

Crescendo  on  sustained  sound . . 

..     145 

"  Spectre's  Bride,  The  "  . . 

Dynamic  stresses 

140 

When  not  to  say  words  clearly 

..     186 

' '  Story  of  Bethany  " 

Contrasted  swells 

..     166 

"  Strike  the  Lyre" 

Treatment  of  dominant  chief  part 

..  1946 

"  Sun-god's  Return,  The  " 

Emotionless  expression 

..     128 

"Surely  He  hath  borne" 

Opotheosis    of    sustained    note 

and 

prepared  discord 

224-5 

"The  Veil" 

Dynamic  and  emotional  pressure 

..     140 

Working  to  climax 

..     114 

'*  Three  Fishers  " 

Ebb  and  flow  of  sound 

. .     146 

" Thy  rebuke  " 

Dovetailing  phrases 

..     229 

Voice  Exercise 

To  admit  to  choral  society 

. .     261 

To  develop  attack 

24 

To  secure  unity  of  tone. . 

22 

' '  Wedding  of  Shon   Mac- 

Example of  nasal  resonance    . . 

••       44 

lean  " 

"  Why  do  the  Nations  "  .. 

Development  of  climax 

. .     104 

' '  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  "  . . 

Exultation  of   tenor  part    and    inter- 

J 


3ATE   DUE 


MAY  18  ]968 
J 


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